A Miami Beach police officer shot and killed a suspected bank robber on Saturday, December 5th.
The FBI said a man entered a Bank of America branch about 10:26 a.m. and handed an employee a note saying he had a bomb and demanded money. After threatening to shoot a customer, the man left without money and didn’t leave an explosive device behind, the FBI said.
A bystander captured the encounter on video and the officer also wore a body camera. Police have not released footage, but the bystander’s video has gone viral over the Internet.
The suspect was spotted a block from the bank, went into a barbershop and came out with a straight-edge razor, authorities say. The man raised his hand with the razor during a confrontation with police and was shot twice by an officer with a rifle. The video shows a shirtless man confronted by several police officers.
The man and the nearest officer appeared to be about 10 feet apart.
The man takes a couple steps forward, places his left hand on the front of a parked police cruiser and stops. His right hand can no longer be seen, it is blocked from view by an officer to his side.
Moments later, the officer fires the rifle, two shots can be heard, and the man falls backward onto the street, clutching his chest. A scream can be heard.
The man who was shot was Hispanic, police said. The officer, a six-year veteran, is Hispanic. The identity of neither has been released.
Miami-Dade police, not Miami Beach police, will investigate the shooting, Oates said. The FBI and Miami Beach police will investigate the attempted bank robbery.
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