Miami police shoot, kill naked man chewing face of male victim
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Police in Miami, Florida fatally shot a naked male who appeared to be chewing off the face of his male victim. The attack happened yesterday, approximately around 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC) on the NE 13th Street off-ramp of Miami's MacArthur Causeway, where the headquarters of The Miami Herald newspaper is located. The shooting was captured on the Herald building surveillance camera, which police have requested.
Around 2:00pm, Miami Police were notified of the incident and responded. An officer came upon the two men fighting and found the naked attacker chewing at the face of the male victim who was also naked. The officer called over the loudspeaker of his police cruiser for the man to cease his attack, which the man failed to heed. The officer then shot the attacker once, who continued attacking the victim despite being shot. The officer fired additional shots at the attacker in what was described by various witnesses and sources as "a half dozen shots". The victim was then brought to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center with critical to severe facial injuries and is reported to be in intensive care.
The camera footage from the Miami Herald building shows a police cruiser pulling up at the off-ramp, which is partly obscured by the overhead tracks of the Miami Metromover. The video then shows the officer getting out of the cruiser and apparently commanding the man to stop attacking. The officer then pulls his service weapon and appears to fire his gun. Afterwards, the camera zooms in and shows the lower body of one man lying motionless on the ground, while another appears to be rolling around in pain. The Herald edited the video to obscure the victim.
Detective Willie Moreno, spokesperson for the Miami Police, said, "During this confrontation an officer did discharge his weapon striking one of the individuals." Moreno added, "That individual has lost his life right now."
Police have not identified the attacker, victim, or officer involved in the shooting. However, Javier Ortiz, the spokesperson for the Miami lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, said, "Based on the information provided, our Miami police officer is a hero and saved a life."
A news release by the Miami Police stated, "As with all active investigations, there are many details that cannot be discussed until we have gathered all the facts. Detectives are still trying to gather details and urging any passersby who might have seen something to contact them." According to the Herald, police believe the attacker may have been experiencing stimulant psychosis.
Sources
- Daniela Guzman and Julie K. Brown. "Police seek witnesses to savage attack on the MacArthur Causeway; exclusive video shows snippets of the crime scene" — The Miami Herald, May 27, 2012
- Daniela Guzman and Julie K. Brown. "Naked man killed by Police near MacArthur Causeway was ‘eating’ face off victim" — The Miami Herald, May 27, 2012
- "Miami Police Shoot, Kill Man Eating Another Man’s Face" — CBS Miami, May 27, 2012
- Jim Gold. "Report: Miami police shoot naked man chewing on victim's face" — msnbc.com, May 26, 2012
