MIAMI BEACH, FL – A police officer in Miami Beach was wounded in the leg during an incident involving a man believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis in the Venetian Isles area on Saturday.
The episode, which was captured on video by a bystander, occurred on the Venetian Causeway, a stretch of road between Di Lido and Rivo Alto islands, according to Miami Beach Police Department.
The wounded officer was identified as Christopher Bess, a department spokesperson. He explained that the Miami police had received reports of a “potentially armed individual” moving eastward on the causeway. However, it was later revealed that the bullet that struck the officer was inadvertently fired from a fellow officer’s firearm.
Emergency medical personnel from Miami Beach Fire Rescue quickly responded, transporting the injured officer to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center via ambulance. Authorities confirmed that the officer was in stable condition.
Following the incident, the officers apprehended the man involved and transported him to a medical facility for a mental health assessment.