Man Injured In Police-Involved Shooting Near Popular Restaurant
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - One man was rushed to the hospital early Wednesday morning after a police-involved shooting outside a popular restaurant near Miami International Airport.
It happened on the west side of the 94th Aero Squadron on NW 57th Avenue near State Road 836.
Around 3:30 a.m., Miami-Dade police were checking the parking area around restaurant when they noticed a couple of suspicious cars.
Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said they routinely patrol the area after dark.
"Because it's dark a lot of vehicles tend to park there. They have extra curricular activities including narcotics transactions and so forth," said Zableta.
Two officers then approached 21-year-old Bernardo Castañeda Jr. who was standing near a blue Ford Focus. Castañeda gave the officers his ID when asked, according to Zabaleta, who said he was acting in a skittish manner. Zabaleto added that the officers had the feeling he may try to make a run for it.
They weren't wrong. Officers ran after Castañeda as he jumped in the car. They then broke one his car's windows to get him to stop as he hit the gas. As he drove off, the officers shot at him.
"We do know that whenever a vehicle is in motion, whenever someone's trying to flee from an officer, we don't know what is going to occur, what steps that person takes in order for the officer to be able to react. So police officers have to be reactive," said Zabaleta.
Shortly afterwards, South Miami Hospital contacted the police to report that a man had shown up in their Emergency Room with gunshot wounds.
Officers were sent to check it out and it turned out to be Castañeda.
He was then taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center where he underwent surgery. A records check showed Castañeda fled from officers with the department's Kendall unit two weeks ago during another routine check.
The car Castañeda was driving was found near the South Miami Emergency room with two bullet holes through its windshield. Also in the car: A dog, shot dead apparently by one of the rounds fired by the officer who did the shooting.
The officer, on the force for three years, has not been named.
A gate to the parking lot where the shooting happened is usually closed and locked overnight, but has been left open to allow crews access to a construction project along the adjacent 836 expressway.
"Nobody is here, so basically people do come in the parking lot, and they hang out, and the police do come every hour and check around the parking lot," said restaurant owner Peter Knezevic.
Castañeda has been charged with fleeing police and resisting arrest without violence stemming from the incident in Kendall two weeks ago. Charges for Wednesday's incident are pending.
