MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade police have identified 34-year-old Whitney Liberal as the man shot by a homeowner after they said he trespassed on private property in northwest Miami-Dade early Sunday morning.
Neighbors said they were shocked by the incident, which unfolded around 6 a.m. in the 18000 block of Northwest 91st Court.
“We heard pop, pop, pop, pop, and after that, then one last shot,” said neighbor Ofelia Martinez.
Authorities said the shooting occurred shortly after Liberal was involved in a rollover crash on Interstate 75 near Northwest 186th Street.
According to Miami-Dade police, Liberal and two others fled the scene of the crash, with Liberal running behind a barrier wall along I-75, jumping a fence, and entering the backyard of a nearby home.
Police said the homeowner, armed with a gun, confronted Liberal and fired two shots after Liberal allegedly failed to show his hands. One bullet struck Liberal in the leg, according to investigators.
3 p.m. report:
“My neighbor was on the balcony with a gun and a lantern,” said Alfonso Nieto, another neighbor who witnessed the commotion.
According to the arrest report, Liberal told investigators he fled the crash and entered the backyard while attempting to call his girlfriend to pick him up. He also admitted he had injured his foot in the crash.
“It was shocking because nothing like that ever happens in this community,” Martinez added.
Police also said they found marijuana and pills that appeared to be ecstasy, when conducting a search on Liberal.
Authorities said Liberal is being treated at Jackson Memorial hospital for his injuries and is in the process of being booked into jail, as of Monday afternoon.
Jail records show he is facing three counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one count each of trespassing on unenclosed curtilage and possession of cannabis.