A City of Miami police officer and a man were hospitalized early Saturday after an altercation escalated into a shooting in downtown Miami, authorities said.
The incident happened around 7 a.m. near a hotel on Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast Second Street, according to Miami Police Chief Manny Morales. The location is just blocks from the Ultra Music Festival site.
Morales said two officers were flagged down by a bystander reporting a heated argument. When officers arrived, one of the individuals involved turned aggressive toward them. Police attempted multiple nonlethal methods to subdue the man, including the use of a Taser and pepper spray, before one officer fired a gun.
Both the officer and the man were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment. Authorities said the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and the officer was also injured during the altercation.
Morales commented on the incident happening during a busy weekend in the city, which includes Ultra, a concert at the Kaseya Center, and the Marlins’ opening weekend. “This is an anomaly. Miami continues to be one of the safest places. We have enough resources around downtown and our eastern urban area to make sure everyone can enjoy and have a safe time,” Morales said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation.
