New Video Shows Shirtless Man Carrying Handgun, Rifle Before Gun Battle With Police
MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) - On Tuesday, a new video emerged showing a shirtless man carrying a rifle and a handgun before losing his life at a gun battle with police.
Now Miami-Dade police are confirming the man who died in that shootout, which took place Monday afternoon, is 45-year-old Ronnie Churches.
The shooting happened in front of a Miami Gardens home in the area of Northwest 204th Street and 23rd Court.
"Investigative leads took us to this neighborhood where officers met the subject who was carrying a rifle and a handgun and a gun battle ensued and the man is now deceased," said Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman, Sgt. Erin Alfonso.
WATCH VIDEO HERE:
Alfonso said that members of the Miami-Dade Police homicide task force went to the home following leads after a man was shot Sunday in Opa-Locka.
That victim, 44-year-old Roberto Cardenas, died after being rushed to the hospital.
Surveillance emerged Tuesday showing what appears to be Ronnie Churches walking up to Cardenas' car and shooting him.
The man walks away and returns to take Cardenas' rifle out of his vehicle.
Two witnesses to the shooting say they saw Churches shoot Cardenas in the face.
Cardenas' fiancé and two children were in the vehicle at the time.
"They are traumatized, traumatized," a witness tells CBS4.
A friend of the victim described him as a family man.
"It's hard to see your friend lose their life like that," he said fighting back tears.
Quenisa Calloway says she witnessed both deadly shootings.
Calloway, who said Churches was her boyfriend, told CBS4 Monday night that he shot Cardenas after he called him weak and said he wouldn't do anything.
Police said seven officers were involved and said they were fired at and had to shoot back in order to protect themselves.
Chopper4 over the scene spotted what looked to be a car on the street in front of a home which appears to have run over a recycling bin. Both the windshield and hood had bullet holes. A rifle was on the nearby sidewalk.
Calloway doesn't know who shot first. But she said Churches was abusive and prevented her from calling 911 after Sunday's murder.
A witness said he was relieved Churches can't hurt anyone else.
"No telling what else he was gonna do," he said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating Churches' death.
