A Miami Beach police officer inadvertently shot a colleague during a response to a 911 call about a potentially armed individual. The incident, which was captured on police body camera footage, revealed that the individual was not armed but was carrying a metallic lighter. The State Attorney’s Office has since cleared Officer Shenaqua Stringer, who fired the shot, of any criminal wrongdoing.
The incident occurred on March 2, shortly before 12:30 p.m., when the Miami Beach Police Department received a call about a man who was reportedly armed and walking on the Venetian Causeway. Officer Stringer was the first to arrive at the scene. She observed the man reaching into his pocket and retrieving an unknown object, prompting her to draw her weapon.
As Officer Stringer approached the man, Officer Fabio Bolanos arrived from the opposite direction. Bolanos ran towards Stringer and the man, attempting to assist Stringer in subduing the individual. In the ensuing struggle, Stringer’s gun discharged, striking Bolanos in the right calf.
The body camera footage shows the aftermath of the shooting, with Bolanos in evident pain and Stringer calling for assistance. The man at the center of the incident, lying face-down on the ground, can be heard questioning why the shooting occurred, noting that he had done nothing wrong and that Bolanos was bleeding heavily.
Despite his injury, Bolanos and Stringer managed to handcuff the man. Bolanos requested a tourniquet to stem the bleeding from his wound. Additional officers arrived on the scene shortly thereafter, applying a tourniquet to Bolanos’ leg and transporting him to the hospital.
During the ride to the hospital, Bolanos borrowed a phone from a fellow officer to inform his wife of the incident, reassuring her that he was okay and was being taken to Ryder Trauma for treatment. Upon arrival at the hospital, Bolanos underwent treatment for his injury.
Back at the scene, officers discovered that the man was not armed with a gun, but was carrying a metallic lighter. It was later revealed that the man was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the incident. He was not charged in connection with the incident.
Following the incident, Officer Stringer was reassigned within the department. An internal affairs investigation into the incident is ongoing. Officer Bolanos has since fully recovered and returned to duty, but is reportedly considering legal action against the City of Miami Beach.