CUTLER BAY, Fla., Sept. 14, 2007
Miami Manhunt Ends In Fatal Shootout
Killing Suspect In Earlier Shooting That Left 1 Officer Dead And 3 Others Injured
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Play CBS Video Video 4 Miami-Dade Cops Shot
CBS News RAW: One Miami-Dade police officer was killed and three were wounded in what authorities describe as a tactical operation gone bad in Cutler Bay, Fla.
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Four Miami-Dade police officers were injured in a shooting in Cutler Bay, Florida. Officials said one officer has died. (CBS)
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Miami-Dade police swept through a residential neighborhood looking for the shooting suspect. (CBS)
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Officers from police departments across South Florida had conducted a massive search for the suspect, who investigators identified as 25-year-old Shawn Sherwin Labeet. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez said Labeet was found shortly before midnight in a Pembroke Pines apartment complex late Thursday.
"There was an exchange of gunfire and the subject was shot and killed," said Alvarez.
Alvarez, a former county police director, identified the dead officer as Jose Somohano, 37, a married father of two. Another officer, Jody Wright, 31, underwent several hours of surgery to repair her severely injured leg. The other two injured officers were treated and released.
Labeet was armed when police found him about 30 miles north of the original shooting scene late Thursday, according to Alvarez, who said the family of the dead officer has been informed of Labeet's death.
"They asked us for one thing," said Alvarez. "They asked us to catch the subject. Well, I'm happy to report that shortly before midnight, we found the subject."
Miami-Dade Police Director Robert Parker said several police agencies were involved throughout Thursday in the manhunt, which took about twelve hours.
"It is absolutely as a result of an all-out law enforcement effort to apprehend this individual and some very good investigative work that we were able to locate him and attempt to place him in custody," Parker said. "Unfortunately, it led to his death."
According to police spokeswoman Linda O'Brien, the officers were conducting a burglary surveillance in the Miami suburb of Cutler Bay when they stopped Labeet Thursday morning because he was driving erratically. Without warning, according to O'Brien, Labeet started shooting at police.
Authorities say Labeet, who may have been wearing a bulletproof vest, fled in his car, which was found abandoned five miles away. Alvarez said an AK-47 assault rifle was found inside the vehicle.
Alvarez told reporters that Labeet's girlfriend was questioned, but gave officers the name of another man. That, said the mayor, caused investigators to waste several hours looking for the other man before he came forward hundreds of miles away in Jacksonville after hearing that he was wanted. Authorities say he turned out to have no connection to the case.
"I'm sure she'll be facing some charges," said Alvarez. Police declined to give further details on her involvement.
In the hours after the shootings, dozens of officers descended on the area. They could be seen drawing their guns as they briefly surrounded a house and then moved on. They also searched through a garbage truck as others scoured a grassy area on foot. Police were stopping vehicles in the area and searching through them. A federal government helicopter buzzed overhead.
Authorities had offered a $200,000 reward for information leading to Labeet's arrest. It is not immediately clear if that reward money will be paid out to anyone.
Cutler Bay is a suburb southwest of downtown Miami. Several schools in the area were locked down due to the search. Parts of Florida's Turnpike were briefly shut down and residents of the apartment complex where the shootings took place were not allowed into their homes.
"It's a pretty good neighborhood. I never see the police at nobody's house. This is something that just happened," said Mae Haynes, 61, who lives in the neighborhood.
The attacks Thursday followed the separate shootings of two sheriff's deputies last month in Broward. One was killed and officials are still looking for suspects. The other deputy was badly injured and the accused shooter is in jail in the case.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 65 CommentsWith the drug cartel trafficing right through Kansas on I-70 daily,there''s always big bust going on out there. With unemployment the rate of 6.2 percent being out of work,it''s no wonder men and women go to the wrong side of the law to make ends meet.
I have a police scanner that I listen to daily and believe me when I say that the local news doesn''t tell about all the crime happening and it''s worse than what they make it out ot be and I know which parts of the city I wouldn''t live in due to crime.
Anyway whether it''s florida or somewhere else it''s getting worse and we don''t have enough police to handle it and they aren''t getting paid enough to risk their lives for it citizens. We people need to help the officers the best we can to cut down on drugs and crime.
My prayers go to the families of those officers who were injured in the incident and I pray they get their man.
God bless the family of the PO''s. They definately don''t get paid enough, and have to deal w/ these idiots on the streets like the mentioned one above.
Brown alert!
"USAF Stand down September 14 and a %u201CBroken Arrow%u201D?"
www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=37481
Perhaps more will get shot ...SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too many *** cops abusing our civil liberties..
I''ll take care of my self ...Thank you!!!
I hear they have a vacancy at a trailer park in Big Creek West Virginia, how about I chip in for the deposit and you move right on in??????
Your probably one of those Gestapo inbreeds.
I''ve got a bullet for you too!!
You and your *** cop friends need to go to Iraq...
Where you can practice your abusive skills on women and children.
Posted by InIreland at 03:51 PM : Sep 13, 2007
Thanks InIreland. I have been think about moving to Ireland, home of my ancestors. It has to be a safer place than the U.S..
Simple.
Millions of people are being arrested for non-violent victimless crimes thanks to the useless "war on drugs".
www.leap.cc
The officer was extremely rude, and shouted at the 20 year old, for questioning his authority.
The young man recorded the whole thing with a camera setup in his car.
The officer is currently on suspension, without pay, pending further investigation.
I have NO DOUBT the young man would have had no chance, were it not for the hidden camera.
There are far too many stories like this, as well as stories about citizens being shot and killed by officers who claim they thought they were reaching for a gun, or they were trying to find a gun, or whatever.
Too many bad cops doing things like this may very well lead to people shooting before being shot themselves.
You are RIGHT ON!!!
The people of this country have given up their right s to the government. They are afraid to protect themselves and turn to the local PD to fulfill that need.Reality is that you are more likely to be killed by your local cop than one of the GWB so called Terrorists.
Sobering fact that can be verified by the DOJ (Department of Justice).
Frankly there are too many police that are too poorly trained and have NO CLUE what our basic rights are. Hence they abuse their position on a daily basis.
I am surprised that we don''t see more of this..
Once again... GOOD!!! too bad only one died!!!!
Do none of you have respect for the officers talked about in this story?
The story does not mention drugs, or bad cops, these men were on an assignment and merely stopped this car for driving irratically. Then they were shot - one died.
Have some respect.
Mr High and Mighty Gun owner - I think it is waaaay past time for you to pack your bags and head to Iraq as a civilian. You seem to be hell bent on professing your supposedly limited rights go there and see how limited they are.
We NEED law enforcement, WE NEED to respect their roles in this society.
Yes there may be bad cops - but does it appear that this was the case where FOUR OFFICERS injured and one died of those injuries?
You are no American - you need to learn what respect is or go somewhere where you won''t even have the right to respect things you want to.
I am sure they have plenty of guns there for you to have access too - wouldn''t it be too bad if you got shot there?
We need more street justice like this!!!!!
You got a bullet for me???? I have an education plan for you so maybe when you grow up you can be productive human.
get in trouble? Let''s say someone is breaking into their house. Who do they call if they
don''t call 911? The Black Panther Party?
Snoop? Sharpton & Jesse? Or do black people
say if it''s a black person who is the criminal then we don''t care what they do to us black folks.
So many young black men have a huge
self-destructive streak. Anyone disagree?
Determined to do incredibly stupid things.
You want to get the attention of law enforcement? Can''t wait to get back to jail/prison so you can hang with their
homies in Cell block G? Shoot at police officers. In this case, killing one &
wounding three others. You become priority
one. If other law enforcement folks in
other cities/counties/states can help
they will do so. No one files for overtime.
They will be after your sorry butt like nobody''s business. You will get caught. Just a matter of time.
What is it with young black men wanting to be hard, tough thugs/gangsters? When will they wise up? A losing game for suckers & idiots. Or are they just trying to keep judges/courts/probation
officers/wardens/correctional staff busy?
What did he do that was wrong? Having an AK-47 in your car is perfectly natural for young black men. Why shouldn''t he wear a bulletproof vest like any other person does? I wear one on my way to the office.
So many young black men don''t care if they die young. They don''t care if they die before they''re 40. Heck, before they''re 30. So why should they care about anyone else living or dying? They have no love for the police. It''s them vs the police. They hate law enforcement. They hate anyone in authority.
What goes around comes around. Who is going to shed any tears over this lowlife punk? Why was he ever born? What good did he ever do? His "mother" should have had an abortion.
Of course I''m sure Agnim will find a way to blame this episode on white people, slavery, racism, etc.
You want the freedom of buying arms any type, any where? anyone?
You got it !!
Keep arming America and keep killing each other. No rules, no controls. We don''t need them, right?
Kids, cops, blacks, whites, it doesn''t matter. We are free, right?
I wonder when will this Country wake up and restrict arms. You can not let people buy arms as you buy candies. To buy a birth control pill or antibiotic is harder than to buy a riffle in this country. Please, wake up. Look at other civilized countries. These crimes only happen in the US but only in the US you can buy an arm with no real restrictions.
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Posted by miami9990 at 08:58 AM : Sep 14, 2007
+ report abuse
Is that a left, or right arm?
If you think that guns are the root of all crimes, you sadly mistaken!
Evil people are the cause of crime, they just happen to use a gun. A club, a knife, a rock,....etc etc.... would work just as well. Shameful
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This is about as surprising as Petraeus''s report about the surge in Iraq being a asuccess.
The attitude of most posters here is Kill him now, he%u2019s guilty, and there is no need for a trial.
When it should be, take him alive, if possible, try him in a court of law, and if convicted, execute/punish him.
Whether he is guilt or not pales in importance to the fact that we are a nation of laws.
To deny the right to a fair trial to one, in effect, denies that same right to all.
This, Shoot first and judge latter (if at all), attitude is, at this moment, destroying our country by draining the strength of our military and bankrupting us ($9 trillion debt and climbing).
I don%u2019t blame Bush, for Iraq, nearly as much as I blame people with this selfish, thought numbing, anger motivated attitude.
Commentors, like the majority of those here, are very much responsible for the few rogue police who abuse their authority because they know that, short of their actions being secretly filmed, they will always get away with it
You want the freedom of buying arms any type, any where? anyone?
You got it !!
Keep arming America and keep killing each other. No rules, no controls. We don''''t need them, right?
Kids, cops, blacks, whites, it doesn''''t matter. We are free, right?
I wonder when will this Country wake up and restrict arms. You can not let people buy arms as you buy candies. To buy a birth control pill or antibiotic is harder than to buy a riffle in this country. Please, wake up. Look at other civilized countries. These crimes only happen in the US but only in the US you can buy an arm with no real restrictions.
Posted by miami9990 at 08:58 AM : Sep 14, 2007
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The constitution says, "the right of the people to own and bear arms shall not be INFRINGED.
Any restriction is an infringement and is unconstitutional.
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Posted by tbweb at 09:56 AM : Sep 14, 2007
It is a d@mn shame that Brian Nichols didn''t get one between the eyes when he decided to go on a rampage in Atlanta and kill the Judge, Court Reporter, Deputy and Federal Agent. His defense has almost bankrupt the indigent defense fund in Ga.
As for someone''s comments about disarming America... It is in the constitution that we all have the right to bear arms. If we let congress take that away what is next? The right of free speech, or maybe the right to have a lawyer present if we are being questioned?
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