MIAMI – New details and video are being released after police arrested a suspect accused of firing a gun at a Miami-Dade police officer in Miami’s Buena Vista neighborhood Wednesday and grazing the back of his head.
Surveillance video shows the suspect standing behind a light pole and when he believes he’s in the clear, he runs.
Law enforcement sources confirmed Thursday that the suspect is Steve Gallon IV, the son of Miami-Dade school board member Steve Gallon III.
Police searched throughout the night Wednesday, going door to door and using K-9 units in an attempt to discover any trace of the shooter.
Ultimately, police arrested the younger Gallon Thursday morning at a home near Northwest 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, just a block away from where the officer was shot.
“He got out of the house and he was immediately taken into custody without incident and while he was hiding in that house, the three who were helping him were taken into custody as well,” Miami-Dade Police Department Director Freddy Ramirez said.
The three arrested for harboring Gallon have been identified as 33-year-old Kendrick Jose Watkins, 27-year-old Frederick Lee Watkins and 47-year-old Andre Darrell Copeland. At last check, all three were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
The injured officer, an undercover narcotics detective, was shot as he was trying to make an arrest, police said.
Police said a man realized that his vehicle was being followed by an undercover officer and stalled, driving around the block several times while calling a good friend. They then tried to arrange a setup to take out the detective, police said.
Despite being grazed by the bullet, the officer still arrested 30-year-old Atiba Moore.
Police later identified Gallon IV as the person who pulled the trigger.
Local 10 News went to the home of the elder Gallon to see if he had any comment about his son’s arrest.
His attorney also declined to comment, outside of saying that his thoughts and prayers were with the officer’s family.
The Miami-Dade School Board chose not to comment on the younger Gallon’s arrest, saying the incident was a private matter and had nothing to do with the district.
Gallon IV remained in jail as of Thursday evening.