Police Step Up Efforts To Find Man Who Robbed Miami Firefighter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Detectives handed out flyers Tuesday afternoon asking the public for more information on the man who robbed and shot at a City of Miami firefighter over the weekend.
Officials say the flyer contains all the information they were able to gather about the suspect, although admitting it is very vague because the man was wearing a black mask over his face.
"It's very difficult and what we try to encourage them is they don't have to show their face they don't have to give their name they can just call these numbers that we're passing out the information," said Lynda Robers with Miami Police.
Miami Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Ignatius Carroll said around noon on Sunday the firefighter, who was in uniform, was flushing out a hydrant line at 15th Avenue and NW 46th Street.
As he walked back to his fire station about a block away, he was approached from behind by a man in a ski mask and carrying a semi-automatic weapon. The gunman then demanded a chain hanging around the firefighter's neck.
The firefighter took off the chain and threw it at him.
"The subject started to reach for it, at that time the firefighters saw an opportunity to try and get away, that's all he wanted," said Carroll. "This person yelled at him and followed by the yell he started shooting at him."
The armed man fired three shots at the firefighter but missed.
CBS4′s Natalia Zea learned this same firefighter also narrowly avoided being shot, while on duty in 2006 after a random shooting broke out in front of the station.
In that previous incident a bullet came flying through the station door and it just missed that firefighter by inches, lodging itself in the door of a fire truck.
Despite that first close encounter, the firefighter chose to remain at Station 12, serving the Model City neighborhood for the last 12 years.
"He said this is his home, this is the community he serves and he's staying here," Lt. Carroll said.
The name of the firefighter has not been released at this time. Police said he is a husband and father of three children.
Anyone with information about the suspect is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
