WEST MIAMI, Fla. – A day after a shootout that injured an officer and led to four men being taken into custody, residents of the District apartments in West Miami are dealing with the aftermath and police are talking about what could have happened.
It started as a stealth drug bust, targeting an apartment on the fifth floor Tuesday evening. Miami-Dade County and federal drug agents plotted the floorplan on the hallway wall.
But then, the gamechanger — a shot fired out from inside.
Officers returned fire, while the cavalry responded.
“Maybe 20-30 officers with AKs telling us to evacuate,” one resident recalled.
“There was like 300 police outside, so it was kind of overwhelming,” another witness said.
“I heard the helicopters and stuff. There were cops everywhere,” added another, Sergio Hernandez.
One of the Miami-Dade officers was hit with a bullet near his ear and rushed to Ryder Trauma Center.
“By the grace of God, our officer is in good condition right now,” Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said.
A few inches and it could have been a different story.
Back at the apartment building, residents are learning the details, dealing with the cleanup and an incessant fire alarm.
And, ultimately, wondering what those four young men who were taken into custody were doing in that fifth-floor apartment.
Their identities have not yet been released, nor have the charges they may face.