Woman shot dead by officer, Miami police say. Her roommate said she charged with a knife
A police officer shot and killed a woman Tuesday night in the Edgewater area, one block from Biscayne Boulevard, Miami police said.
A man who identified himself as her roommate told Miami Herald news partner CBSNews that she’d charged police with a knife and had been dealing with mental health problems. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, as is standard.
A 911 call brought police to the Northeast 25th Street and Second Avenue area in Edgewater around 11 p.m. Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales described the call as “a female in mental crisis wielding a knife.”
Hamid Hamidi said he made the call after his roommate of just over a month threatened him with a knife.
Morales said officers tried to calm the situation by talking to the woman — but she suddenly jumped up and grabbed a knife.
“At that point, the officers attempted to get the female to put the knife down,” Morales detailed. “Multiple attempts were unsuccessful as the female began to approach the officers in a threatening manner. At one point, she charged at the officers with the knife.”
Morales said the officers shot the 37-year-old woman, who was pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Hamdi’s account to CBSNews, hours before Morales’ news conference, also stated the woman rushed at the police officers.
“The sanctity of life is a central principal to everything we do here at the Miami Police Department,” Morales added. “Loss of life at any incident, at any level by any involvement is a tragic incident.”
Miami police have not released the woman’s identity.
