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Rock-Throwing Man Shot By Police

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade Police detectives are investigating an officer-involved shooting after a man threatened the officer's life while she was conducting a traffic stop in Northwest Miami-Dade.

The female officer had pulled over a red Ford Focus on NW 22 Avenue at 56 Street around 2:30 p.m., authorities said.

A man with a shopping cart approached the officer yelling profanities and then started throwing cinder-block type rocks at her, a witness told CBS 4 News.

"It was a big rock. He started throwing. Held it up in the air. Waving it saying leave me alone, cursing whatever," witness Keyshai B. said.

One of the rocks smashed through the officer's cruiser window, detectives said.

In fear for her life, the officer opened fire, shooting the man in the lower body, Detective Roy Rutland said.

"It was self defense," Keyshai B. said. She said she watched the entire altercation from a nearby bus stop. "She was making sure she was not going to get shot or hurt."

Police say the man was shot in the leg. He tried to get away, but didn't get very far.

"We don't know why this man attacked her, but we do know it was a violent confrontation," Miami-Dade Police Det. Roy Rutland said.

The man was transported to the hospital in stable condition.

The officer was not hurt.

Meanwhile, a detective who responded to the scene was also transported to the hospital.

He had to be treated for a dog bite wound after being bitten while trying to control a crowd of onlookers that gathered at the scene.

The dog was shot and killed.

"My baby ran in the house and said mama they just shot my dog," Shona Woodson said.

Woodson told CBS 4 her son Charles and his dog were part of the crowd that gathered after the first shooting.

Police said the dog was large and aggressive.

According to detectives, the man released the dog and it bit one of their detectives.

"He was warned several times to bring this dog back. He did not do that," Det. Rutland said.

Woodson insists her son and his dog did nothing wrong. She's upset with how police handled the situation.

"They beat my son in the front of my house and they beat him on the sidewalk," Woodson said.

Her son wound up in police custody, just like the man who sparked the initial confrontation.

Miami-Dade Police detectives said this isn't the first time one of their officers has been attacked with rocks. There was a similar incident a few years ago and that officer is still recovering from his head injuries.

 

 

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