Miami police officer dies after being shot in the head

MIAMI, Fla. – Officials say that a Miami police officer, age 29, who was shot in the head while attempting to stop a robbery suspect has passed away as a result of his injuries.

On Monday night, Det. Cesar Echaverry was shot by a suspect sought for a robbery in neighboring Broward County. His loved ones had stayed at his side at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami during his treatment.

Alfredo Ramirez, the director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, stated in a tweet on Wednesday evening that “Officer Echaverry died in the line of duty while serving and protecting our community. Our law enforcement family will continue to stand beside and support the Echaverry family through this difficult time.”

According to the police, Echavarry and other officers began to pursue a white vehicle that had been involved in an earlier armed robbery. When the driver of the white vehicle tried to flee, he crashed into several police vehicles as well as a civilian vehicle, injuring all three occupants of the civilian vehicle and sending them to the hospital in stable condition.

After that, he made an attempt to flee on foot; nevertheless, a confrontation and subsequent gunshots followed. The driver, Jeremy Horton, who was 32 years old and from Acworth, Georgia, was shot and killed at the scene of the incident.

According to the chief of police in Golden Beach, Florida, Horton was pulled over on August 8 and issued citations for driving without insurance, with an expired tag, and with a suspended Georgia driver’s license.

Echaverry had been a member of the Miami-Dade Police Agency for five years when he was assigned to the robbery intervention unit of the department. His friends allegedly informed the Miami Herald that he was planning to get married.

According to multiple sources, Monday’s gunshot was not his first close call with death. At the beginning of the job in March 2018, Echaverry was a passenger in a police vehicle that collided with another vehicle, resulting in the death of the other vehicle’s driver, who was 45 years old.

According to what the Herald wrote, Echaverry said in court that he couldn’t remember what happened before the incident.

“We’ll never forget Officer Echaverry’s bravery and sacrifice. Godspeed, brother,” Ramirez tweeted.