"Tagger" Struck By Unmarked Police Car Dies
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A graffiti artist hit by an unmarked police car in Wynwood Friday morning has died.
Delbert Rodriguez Gutierrez, 21, according CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald, was seen by police gang unit members "tagging" a building near NW 5th Avenue and 24th Street Friday around 2 a.m.
Rodriguez jumped out from between cars and was reportedly struck by Miami Police Detective Michael Cadavid's vehicle as he turned the corner, the paper reports.
Rodriguez was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition. He passed away Monday.
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The Miami Fraternal Order of Police, as noted in a statement released Wednesday, said "Officer Cadavid has been in close contact with the FOP and continues to pray for Mr. Rodriguez's family."
According to Miami Police, Rodriguez took off running when he saw police lights. Physical evidence shows that Rodriguez was in a "low position near the pavement" as a result of either a fall or he was attempting to hide the spray cans under a nearby car, according to a statement released by police Wednesday.
Police said that evidence from the black box in the detective's car suggests that he was traveling less than 15 mph at the point of impact.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)
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