Domestic violence: Ex-police officer was stalking Miami-Dade officer before shooting him, police say

HIALEAH, Fla. – A relationship with a history of domestic violence between two law enforcement officers in Miami-Dade County ended after about seven years, but not the violence, police said.

Yessenia Sanchez, a former Miami-Dade Schools police officer, used an electronic application to track her ex-boyfriend, according to the arrest form.

Sanchez, 32, drove to the three-bedroom home on Friday morning at 1270 W 79 St, while searching for her ex-boyfriend, according to Sgt. Jose Torres, a spokesman for the Hialeah Police Department.

Sanchez got out of her car and confronted Officer Damian Colon, who is a 17-year veteran with the Miami-Dade Police Department and was off duty, police said.

Sanchez and Colon argued before she shot him once in the head, police said. She drove away in a red pickup truck. Police officers responded shortly before 6:40 a.m., and found the MDPD veteran wounded, according to Torres.

Meanwhile, Sanchez crashed into several cars, and abandoned the truck in the area of Palm Avenue and 45 Street, according to Torres. She took off running eastbound on 45 Street, and dropped her wallet, according to the arrest form.

Hialeah police officers later arrested her at her home at about 7:50 a.m., at 630 E. 45 St. A neighbor described Sanchez as “super, super, super nice.” She confessed to the crimes, according to the arrest form.

Fire Rescue personnel rushed Colon to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center where dozens of police officers waited for updates on his condition.

“He is out of surgery and he has been moved over to a room. His family is with him,” MDPD Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III said on Friday afternoon.

He remained there late Friday night in critical condition, according to Torres, who added that the investigation remained open and active.

Late last year, police officers arrested Sanchez, while she was still a police officer. She had allegedly armed herself with a gun and later with a knife while threatening to hurt herself.

Sanchez was facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated stalking, and leaving the scene of an accident.

“We may have different color shirts, but we are all one and we all want the same thing: to protect our community and protect our officers,” Ramirez lll said.

Local 10 News’ Trent Kelly contributed to this story.

Read the excerpts of the arrest form on the shooting

Yessenia Sanchez - HPD

Read the excerpts of the arrest form on the crashes

Yessenia Sanchez -HPD

Watch the 11 p.m., Friday report


About the Authors
Andrea Torres headshot

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

Cody Weddle headshot

Cody Weddle joined Local 10 News as a full-time reporter in South Florida in August of 2022. Before that, Cody worked regularly with Local 10 since January of 2017 as a foreign correspondent in Venezuela and Colombia.

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