Two men were arrested early Saturday after a high-speed chase that started in Miami Beach and wrapped up in northwest Miami-Dade, where Florida Highway Patrol troopers used a PIT maneuver to finally stop a fleeing SUV. Officers recovered a gun from the vehicle, and authorities said a trooper fired at the SUV during the pursuit but no one was struck and the vehicle itself was not hit. The occupants were taken into custody without further incident, and officials have released only limited details so far.
Chase Started In Miami Beach, Ended In Northwest Miami-Dade
According to Local 10, Miami Beach officers first tried to pull over a blue Mercedes SUV when the driver took off west onto the Dolphin Expressway. Florida Highway Patrol troopers later picked up the chase on I-95. The SUV exited at Northwest 119th Street, crashed into another vehicle, then kept going until troopers used a PIT maneuver on Northwest Seventh Avenue near Northwest 129th Street. Both men in the SUV were taken into custody at the scene.
Shots Fired And Firearm Recovered
In a statement to Local 10, the Florida Highway Patrol said “a trooper discharged a gun toward the SUV, but no one was struck and the vehicle was not hit.” Investigators recovered a firearm from inside the SUV, and officials said the arrests were made without any further confrontation. Authorities have not yet released the suspects' names or specified what charges, if any, will be filed.
How PIT Maneuvers Are Governed
FHP's vehicle-pursuit rules require troopers to complete PIT training and to weigh factors such as blind curves, road grades, fixed barriers and surrounding traffic before trying the maneuver. The written guidelines from the Florida Highway Patrol also urge troopers to consult supervisors when practical and to use PITs only at speeds consistent with their training. National reporting has flagged PIT maneuvers as a high-risk tactic and urged tighter limits after several deadly crashes; The San Francisco Chronicle recently documented those concerns.
What Comes Next
FHP policy requires a report whenever a trooper intentionally fires a weapon, and past agency updates show that internal reviews, and at times outside investigations, can follow use-of-force incidents. The state agency’s newsroom has previously noted that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or internal units may investigate and send findings to prosecutors when appropriate. Miami Beach police and FHP have not released additional information so far; prosecutors or investigators could announce charges or other findings as the case moves forward.
