Miami Cop Shot Homeless Man Wielding Pipe at Public Park

MIAMI (WSVN) -- Miami's police chief said one of his officers was forced to open fire during a confrontation with a man brandishing a "metal object" at a South Florida park, Thursday morning.

Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes noted that a metal pipe was found at the scene, but he said he could not confirm whether the man shot by a City of Miami Police Officer brandished it during a confrontation. "An officer responded to this location in response to a violent disturbance of a man armed with a metal object," said Llanes. "The officer confronted the subject, and he discharged his weapon."

The shooting happened at around 10 a.m., at Gibson Park, which is located at 350 NW 13th St. "The mechanics of what that confrontation looks like -- we don't know right now -- is still under investigation," said Llanes. "We have anywhere between 40 and 60 witnesses that we have to interview, some of them being kids. This is going to be a long investigation for the FDLE [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] due to the fact they have to put together all those witness statements."

The confrontation ended with that man hospitalized. Llanes said he does not know the man's condition but said he was transported to an area hospital. SkyforceHD hovered over the scene as Miami Fire Rescue crews tended to the injured man.

Before the chief confirmed the police-involved shooting, witnesses said the man who was injured is homeless. "When I was coming up in the yard," said one woman, "the homeless man, he was walking on the side with the stick in his hand ... When I walked over there I heard the gunshots five times. They shot that homeless man for nothing."

Llanes confirmed there was more than one shot fired, but he said he could not elaborate on the specific amount shots, as the investigation remains open.

Though the police chief said he could not say who called police to the scene, witnesses said a library nearby called police to have the man removed. Llanes only confirmed that the shooting happened right outside the entrance of the library.

Another witness said the shooting happened in front of children. "All the kids were running screaming and hollering," she said.

Llanes said FDLE investigators will be talking to those children about what they saw, and it could take some time before the facts come out and no one should jump to any conclusions of what happened until the investigation is over. "I understand the anxiety that's been created across the country from police/citizen interactions, but I would ask that everyone wait for the facts of the case and not make up your own story," said Llanes. "We will know what the facts of the case are. This is not being investigated by the Miami Police Department. It's being investigated by an outside agency."

As far as the police officer who allegedly shot the man, his name remains unknown. Llanes also did not name the man who was shot.

The Miami police chief said the officer involved in the shooting will be administratively reassigned until the investigation is concluded.

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