NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – A Hialeah police officer shot and injured a suspect in an armed carjacking in North Miami Thursday, authorities confirmed.
The shooting, which involved one officer from the Hialeah Police Department, occurred in the area of Northwest 15th Avenue and 127th Street.
According to Hialeah police Lt. Eddie Rodriguez, officers were called to the scene of an armed carjacking involving an 83-year-old man around 8:30 a.m. in the area of East 11th Avenue and East 20th Street in Hialeah.
The victim, Miguel Castillo, told Local 10 News’ Janine Stanwood that he was scared for his life when he got out of his car Thursday morning.
He said he was confronted by a man with a gun outside his home.
“He had the gun over my head and he had the finger in the trigger,” Castillo said, adding that he was thinking, “This is the end for me.”
Castillo, who turns 83 on the fifth of July, said the man with a gun grabbed his watch and wallet before taking off with two other suspects in his 2017 Red Ford Escape.
Rodriguez said a Hialeah police officer spotted the victim’s SUV several hours later and tried to stop the suspects, but they kept going.
“A pursuit ensued, ending at NW 15th Ave and 127th Street, where three suspects bailed out of the vehicle, one of which, was armed with a firearm,” Rodriguez said in an email. “Our officer discharged his firearm, striking the suspect. The other two suspects were later captured within a perimeter.”
Rodriguez confirmed that a gun was recovered at the scene.
A Local 10 News crew was in the area shortly after the police chase ended as officers from the Hialeah, North Miami and Miami-Dade police departments were at the scene.
Neighbors in North Miami said the shooting startled them.
“I just (saw) the police putting the yellow tape and it was a lot a lot of police cars,” Jason Wallace said. “It’s really dangerous out here.”
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials confirmed that one person was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center as trauma alert. Their condition has not yet been released.
“I just told my husband to lock my gate because sometimes when that happens people try to hide in anywhere,” Antoinine Pompe said.
Sky 10 was above the area as another person was placed in handcuffs.
Rodriguez said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the police-involved shooting, per standard protocol.