Police arrest suspect in police shooting
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have arrested a man they said shot and injured an undercover officer Wednesday night.
Miami-Dade Police announced that 42-year-old Yoel Garcia is being held without bond on three counts of attempted first degree murder charges on a police officer, among other charges. "Garcia immediately discharged the firearm striking detective Diaz on his right torso, disabling him. The firearm was a shotgun," explained Miami-Dade Police spokesperson James Loftus at a press conference police held early Thursday afternoon.
Loftus went on to explain that Garcia exchanged fire with another police officer and then fled. The other police officer, with the help of another detective took their fallen comrade, who police identified as Edwin Diaz, out of the line of fire.
Diaz was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital that night. He was discharged Thursday afternoon and is expected to be fine.
A witness said she watched Broward Sheriff's Office deputies arrest Garcia along with the detention of four other subjects at a home on the 2700 Block of Griffin Road, near her house, earlier that morning. "What they had told me was that there had been a warrant that was served in Miami, and a police officer was shot, and they had followed them back to this residence down the street," said Patty Hetler.
Police are holding the other men for questioning, but none of them have been charged with anything yet.
Police found a grey pickup truck that was somehow a part of the shooting late Wednesday night in Southwest Miami-Dade. Detective Diaz was working an undercover sting operation with other detectives when they were fired upon. Another officer suffered minor injuries, but he was able to drive himself to the hospital.
Thursday morning, police were able to go into the home where the shooting occurred. They found hydroponics lab with 129 marijuana plants with a street value of $1.35 million. Police said Garcia was supposed to be a caretaker of that home.
Diaz is the third Miami-Dade officer who has been shot in the line of duty this year. "We've had an increase of attacks on law enforcement like we haven't seen in 30 or 40 years. That's a clear indication that something is wrong," said John Rivera, President of the Police Benevolent Association. "Our leaders need to wake up, and if they don't wake up on their own, trust me, I will wake them up."
Rivera was relieved to hear both injured officers are expected to make a full recovery, but feared the brazenness of the attack could have been much worse. "This could have been another burial," he said. "The officer was shot significantly with a shotgun. He's lucky to be alive."
During the manhunt last night, a Special Response Team surrounded a home within the perimeter, but the house turned up empty.
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