DORAL, Fla. – The Doral Police Department identified the 25-year-old man who died on Friday during a police-involved shooting as Yordany Rodriguez Perez.
Before the shooting across from the Miami-Dade Police Department headquarters, sources familiar with the case said Perez, of Hialeah, had a conflict at work. He left the City Electric Supply, at 10840 NW 22 St., in Sweetwater, in a BMW and chased a driver, sources said.
Officers saw the black BMW spin out of control and crash along Northwest 25th Street at 92nd Avenue in Doral, police said. Perez fired at the officers first, police said.
“He jumped out of his car and opened fire,” Officer Rey Valdes, a spokesman for the Doral Police Department, said during a news conference.
A bulletproof vest likely saved an officer’s life when a bullet hit him in the chest, Valdes said. The officer, identified Saturday as 31-year-old Johnny Beautelus, suffered wounds to his arm and leg. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel took him to the Jackson West Medical Center. Doctors transferred him to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he remained until Friday.
Officer Beautelus will have to return to the hospital next week to undergo surgery on his arm, according to police.
Another officer was injured in the face either by flying glass or shrapnel and was treated at Kendall Regional Medical Center, according to Valdes. That officer was identified as 21-year-old Daniel Vilarchao.
According to police, Officer Villarchao had successful surgery on Saturday morning and remains in the hospital recovering.
A driver also was injured after getting caught in the crossfire, police said.
A witness video shows men running for cover behind cars in a parking lot. Perez ran towards warehouses before he collapsed, police said.
Detectives closed Northwest 25th Street to collect evidence. Perez’s body was outside for hours. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office left the scene of the shooting shortly before 11 p.m.
Perez worked at City Electric Supply in Sweetwater, which sent the following statement to Local 10 News:
“This was a very tragic and unexpected situation, and we are deeply saddened by these events. We are currently fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation and, unfortunately, cannot comment further at this time. We can confirm that Yordany was employed by City Electric Supply at the Sweetwater FL location at the time of the incident. Our thoughts are with the two police officers involved. We wish them a full and speedy recovery. We are also providing support and resources to our employees at the Sweetwater location over the coming days and weeks.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is tasked with investigating the fatal police-involved shooting.