A Miami Shores police officer shot and wounded an armed man on Sunday afternoon following a confrontation that began with a reported disturbance at a Biscayne Boulevard car dealership, and on Monday the village’s police chief defended his officer’s actions as a split-second decision in a dangerous situation.
The episode started shortly after 2:10 p.m. on Sunday, when officers were called to Tropical Chevrolet at Northeast 88th Street and Biscayne Boulevard after reports of a man carrying two large-edged weapons and causing a disturbance. According to Police Chief Dave Golt, the man had left the dealership by the time officers arrived. He was located a short time later by another officer near the intersection of Northeast 86th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, just one block south of the village line.
What happened next unfolded in seconds. Video circulating on social media appears to show the man, holding something in his hand, running toward the officer, who then fired. The man was struck and fell in the roadway. Officers immediately rendered first aid before Miami-Dade Fire Rescue rushed him to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Authorities have not identified the man and have declined to release any information about his condition.
Witnesses described the chaos. One nearby resident said she had been walking to a store when she heard a burst of gunfire and turned to see a man lying on the ground, blood staining his white shirt, as a crowd gathered. Another neighbor said simply that it was not the kind of thing anyone wants to see in their community.
No officers or bystanders were injured. As is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over an independent investigation. The officer, who has not been named, has been placed on administrative duties.
Chief Golt declined to say whether his department had any prior history with the man or knew his identity, calling those questions part of the active investigation. He emphasized that the case appeared to be isolated and reflected on the hard realities of the job. Officers, he said, are asked to make difficult decisions in dangerous moments, and the goal is for them to do their work and return home safely. Biscayne Boulevard, briefly closed as investigators worked the scene, reopened Sunday night.
