Off-Duty Miami Cop In Shootout In Pembroke Pines
PEMBROKE PINES (CBS4) – One person has been taken into police custody following a shooting in Pembroke Pines, involving veteran off-duty Miami police officer Confessor Gonzalez.
According to Pembroke Pines Police Capt. Bryan Davis, the man was shot after he allegedly broke into several vehicles inside a gated Pembroke Pines neighborhood around 4:00 a.m.
"Bow, bow, bow, bow, bow; I'm laying in bed half-awake and I'm saying, 'what the hell was that,'" said Claude Coby who heard the gunfire.
Video from Chopper 4 shows the suspect being taken into police custody, being placed onto a gurney and into an ambulance.
There were also numerous bullet casings on the street.
Neighbor Madelyn Joanes told CBS4's Ted Scouten heard five or six gunshots at first, then 10 to 15 more.
Another neighbor who doesn't want to be identified said he hit the floor when it began.
"I heard somebody said, 'don't move,'" the neighbor said. "That's when I heard, 'don't move, stay right there.' That's why I was thinking it was a police officer. That's when I was on the floor."
Sources told CBS4's Ted Scouten that Gonzalez feared for his life when he opened fire. Gonzalez was grazed in the foot by a ricocheted bullet.
"Someone saw the guy, it was a young guy, hiding here," said Maire Mompleisor.
One of the bullets that was flying hit Mompleisor's home, and several more fired into her car.
"I just thank God it's just the car," Mompleisor. "I can replace the car, but I can't replace a life. It's a blessing to be alive today. Nothing happened to us."
The suspect was shot in the rear-end and taken to Memorial Regional Hospital.
Residents in the neighborhood were just thankful Gonzalez lived nearby.
"That's so amazing that he was around," said Nafreeze Alli. "He probably stopped like a lot from happening. This might be a little damage, money, but it doesn't matter; he probably saved people's live from that guy walking around with a gun."
