Mother Of Cop Shot During Robbery Speaks Out
MIAMI (CBS4) – The mother and father of a Miami-Dade police officer who was robbed and shot on Saturday in the parking lot of their church say their son Herman Joseph is making a remarkable recovery. And they truly feel their prayers for their only son have paid off.
"He's doing good. He's doing good. He's fine," said Violas Joseph in an exclusive interview with CBS4's Peter D'Oench. "Because he 's going to the hospital. He comes back after two or three hours."
Joseph told CBS4 that she was amazed at how resilient her son is. She told him she was surprised that he was released from Jackson Memorial Hospital on the same day that he was shot, despite being shot in the chest.
Speaking for the first time, she said, "He's ok. He's going to be ok."
And she said she prayed a lot for her son.
"Yeah. I pray. I pray. I pray he is good," she said. "Because God is good. And Jesus loves everyone."
The officer's father echoed those same sentiments in an exclusive interview with CBS4's Tiffani Helberg.
"Only one thing," he told Helberg. "Only God knows."
The officer's father Andrew believes that faith saved his son's life.
"Sometimes when you believe in God, whatever the situation, he's here with you."
Joseph was off-duty doing maintenance work at their Liberty City church when police say three men approached him, took his jewelry and shot him.
His father ran to him.
"That was very hurt (it hurt a lot) yeah and sad," said his father. "Oh when he was telling me he was going to be ok, I feel comfortable."
A massive search lead to the suspects.
All three men are being held without bond and charged with robbery and attempted murder.
The men are identified as Dedrick Brown and Willie Barney, both 20, and 19-year-old Travares Santiago.
They could be tied to a similar robbery from last Thursday in Miami Shores.
D'Oench spoke with a victim who only wanted to identify himself as "Joseph."
He said the same three men robbed him while he was cutting lawns last Thursday in Miami Shores.
"They just walked up to me and pulled out a gun and demanded that I turn over my chain and whatever else I had on me and I surrendered it," said "Joseph."
He said, "That was more important than risking my life over that."
"I feel violated," he told D'Oench. "Like it's really hard to go out and work without looking over your shoulder to make sure you're safe."
"I feel really bad for the officer," he said. "And I'm glad they are off the streets and locked up and behind bars and now everyone will be safe," he said.
The Josephs say their son has been in law enforcement for 10 years.
After he was shot, he was actually able to call 911 and give police an accurate description of his attackers.
