Carjacking suspect accused of shooting Miami-Dade police officer charged
MIAMI – A carjacking suspect accused of shooting a Miami-Dade police officer on Monday afternoon has been charged.
Gabriel Gongora, 20, is facing one count of first-degree attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
At a brief hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer found probable cause for the charges and held Gongora without bond.
Police said a Robbery Intervention Detail detective was conducting surveillance on a stolen black Volkswagen Jetta that was taken in an armed carjacking in Miami Gardens.
The detective watched as the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Gongora, left the Haven Lakes Estates trailer park, in the area of NW 202 Street and NW 57 Avenue.
The detective called for backup as he followed the stolen car to a nearby shopping plaza in the area of 67 Avenue and NW 186 Street. There Gongora drove erratically through the parking lot and fired several shots at the detective, who was grazed in the face.
The 34-year-old officer was airlifted to JMH Ryder Trauma Center.
On Tuesday, Steadman Stahl, the president of the South Florida PBA, told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "This officer is doing well. He is upbeat. He knows how lucky he is. Just another inch with the bullet in the other direction this could have been a lot worse. He's in good spirits and thanks the community for the support. It was a facial injury. We are not sure if part of the bullet him or if was part of the material that the bullet had gone through. This was a laceration to the face. He is doing OK. This officer had no chance. This was an animal. Again, an inch in either direction could have changed everything. Here we are with warriors out there going after the worst of the worst,"
Stahl added, "It's outrageous what is happening out there. And this is the message to the bad guys. We are out there and we will engage you. If you shoot at us, we will shoot back We are going to come and get you. This is not the time to start a fight with police. In Miami-Dade this unit is going to remain very aggressive and will protect the community at all costs."
Stahl said the officer should be back on the street "in the next couple of days."
During a press conference on Monday, Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said the officer, a six-year veteran of the department, was alert and talking.
"Despite the injuries he sustained, that officer kept moving forward... he got on the radio, called it in, kept moving forward," Ramirez said. "In fact, speaking to him right now, 'I'm sorry, sir. I want to go right back out.' That's what he said."
The officer, whose has not been named, has since been released from the hospital and is at home recovering.
