MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The attorney representing the 15-year-old boy shot by an officer during an altercation over the weekend is sharing his picture with Local 10 News.
His family identified the teen as Vito Corleone Venisee.
At last check, Venisee is still in critical condition, and family members say they are very concerned over the severity of his injuries.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating and still trying to piece together exactly what happened.
The teen has not been charged in this incident.
Family members say he is fighting for his life at Jackson Memorial Hospital, suffering injuries to his spine after being shot in the back.
Miami-Dade police said the young man was driving a Dodge Challenger they were attempting to pull over early Sunday morning in the area of Northwest 56th Street and 22nd Avenue.
Detectives say the teenager crashed and tried to run away, along with other people who were with him in the vehicle.
All escaped, except for Venisee.
He was caught by a sergeant who pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking the minor in the midst of a scuffle.
Investigators say they found weapons in the car Venisee was driving, adding the minor was armed.
Miami-Dade Police Spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta stressed that his sergeant was forced to fire.
“It could’ve very easily been a tragic night for the law enforcement family,” Zabaleta said.
Venisee does have a criminal record dating back to when he was just 11, and most recently he was wanted for weapons possession and burglary charges.