MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Former Miami-Dade Police Department Director Freddy Ramirez made a rare public appearance on Thursday. He was joined by his wife to announce his endorsement of Miami-Dade County sheriff candidate James Reyes.
Ramirez, who has stayed out of the public eye since he shot himself in Hillsborough County last year after an argument with his wife, made this appearance to show his support for Miami-Dade sheriff candidate James Reyes. Ramirez was considered the frontrunner for the position before dropping out of the race following the 2023 incident.
Ramirez, visibly injured in one eye, was accompanied by his wife, officers and Reyes at the Kendale Lakes Branch Library. The endorsement was announced while voters participated in early voting.
“My last 30 years of my life have been devoted to this community and to the Miami-Dade Police Department,” Ramirez said. “I can tell you there is no one better suited for this task, which is the office of the sheriff.”
Reyes said of Ramirez, “Freddy is a beloved member of this community, a very well-respected leader in the Miami-Dade Police Department, and in law enforcement statewide and nationally.”
Reyes, a Democrat, is running against Republican Rosie Cordero-Stutz, the Assistant Director of Investigative Services for Miami-Dade Police, who began her career with the department over 30 years ago.
As the two candidates continue their campaigns leading up to election day, voters will ultimately decide who will be the sheriff of Miami-Dade County, a position that has not been elected since the 1960s.