On Sunday, the director of the Miami-Dade Police Department committed suicide and was later brought to the hospital.
Alfredo Ramirez, the chief of the largest police department in the Southeast of the United States, shot himself on Monday, leaving him “severely injured,” according to the authorities.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava stated that Ramirez sustained a “critical injury in Tampa” on Sunday night and that he was still in a “critical but stable condition” on Monday.
According to the mayor, “Chairman Ramirez’s safety is all that matters right now.”
Ramirez attended the annual Sheriff’s Summer Conference of the Florida Sheriff’s Association in Tampa.
Ramirez committed suicide after engaging in a “domestic dispute,” according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the Tampa Bay metropolitan area.
On I-75, which connects Tampa to Miami, the incident took place.
According to a report from Local 10 News, Ramirez’s wife Jody was in the car with him.
Witnesses reportedly spotted Ramirez arguing with his wife on Sunday night in front of the JW Marriott Hotel in Tampa, according to the local broadcaster. After witnessing the police chief put a gun in his mouth, the witnesses reportedly dialled 911.
The shooting is being looked into by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Ramirez underwent surgery, according to Miami-Dade Police’s confirmation on Monday afternoon.
‘We have confirmed that our Director Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Ramirez is now undergoing surgery for his injuries,’ the police department stated in a news statement on Monday.
The whole Miami-Dade Police Department is united in support of Freddy and begs that his neighbourhood continue to pray for him. We respectfully request that you respect the privacy of his immediate family and friends during this trying time.
In 1996, Ramirez enlisted in the police. In 2020, he was chosen to serve as the department’s chief, which has 1,000 other employees in addition to its 3,000 police officers.
He said he would run for Miami-Dade County Sheriff in 2024 earlier this year.