A man wielding a knife near Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami was shot by an officer after a morning altercation that prompted an area shutdown earlier today, law enforcement officials said.
The incident, which unfolded around 9:50 a.m., began with a violent dispute between two men, according to the Miami Police Department; Officer Rafael Horta stated that upon arrival, officers found a male with a knife, "One officer subsequently discharges his firearm, striking the subject," he said in a statement obtained by CBS News Miami, the subject then fled toward the hospital but was quickly apprehended by the pursuing officers.
A witness inside the hospital, Rebecca Fields, described the chaotic scene to CBS News Miami, saying "When the police got there, there was a bunch of them with cars and running after him, they had guns and Tasers," and despite initial confusion, she added, "The next thing you know, it looks like they shot him."
Fear struck patrons at a Starbucks close to the scene as a Local 10 News reporter Annaliese Garcia described how those present ran to the back of the shop when they saw the armed man, before officers followed him toward the hospital, "I was walking into a nearby Starbucks when I spotted a man with a knife," she revealed in an interview for Local 10 News.
The suspect, who has not been identified, is currently receiving treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital; no information about his condition has been released at this time while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement takes the helm in the investigation of the officer-involved shooting, the roadways now reopened after initial closures, indicated Officer Horta confirming ongoing hospital access.
