A 21-year-old man was shot multiple times Sunday by a Miami police officer near Bayfront Park, according to authorities.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in serious but stable condition, Miami Fire Rescue confirmed.
Miami police say the incident unfolded while an officer was directing traffic on Biscayne Boulevard as part of a large police detail assigned to the area during the Best of the Best music festival. Officials said a vehicle struck the officer, prompting the officer to open fire on the driver.
“One of our officers was on a traffic post when — we’re still investigating exactly what happened — but we know that a vehicle made physical contact with the officer. As a result of that incident, shots were fired,” said Assistant Police Chief Armando Aguilar.
The shooting occurred near Northeast Second Street, just outside the perimeter of the festival, which drew large crowds and was staffed by more than 50 Miami police officers.
In a statement issued Sunday night, festival organizers emphasized that the shooting happened outside the venue and did not involve any event attendees.
“The incident that occurred outside of Bayfront Park was in no way affiliated with Best of the Best,” said Ronnie Tomlinson, Director of PR and Marketing for the festival. “The individual involved was not a patron of the event and is not from the immediate area.”
Aguilar confirmed that the area was heavily crowded when the shooting took place, and that officers quickly rendered aid to the driver.
“Our officers immediately provided first aid to the person who was shot, who was inside that vehicle,” he said. “The person who was shot was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center, and our officer was also transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital to be treated as well.”
Aguilar noted that the officer’s injuries were minor and that the suspect was undergoing surgery as of the latest update.
The exact circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear.
“So, we don’t know exactly what happened,” Aguilar said. “We do know there was physical contact between the officer and the vehicle that he ended up firing into.”
“Again, the Miami Police Department is no stranger to large scale events like these,” Aguilar said. “We do them all the time, and most of the time, thankfully, very few things go wrong. In an incident like this, unfortunately, it’s just a reminder for everyone that there are dangers in the job that our officers perform.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation into the police shooting.
