MIAMI-A witness says that the man who was shot and killed by police near Downtown Miami on Saturday was biting off parts of another man's face.
A police source said the man bit off parts of the victim's cheek bone, ear, and nose. Officers said they couldn't take any chances because it appeared the attacker was enraged and that he ripped off his own clothes and refused orders to back off.
The officer on the scene believed the attacker was on cocaine.
The victim was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
The incident happened near the west end of the MacArthur Causeway and Biscayne Boulevard, near the Miami Herald building.
Larry Vega said he witnessed the attack.
He said there was blood everywhere, and that he couldn't make out the victim's face. Vega added that the attacker was pulling flesh from the victim's face and tossing it to the side.
Vegas also wrote to Local 10 on Saturday, saying, "I stopped a City of Miami police officer and informed him that a homeless man was killing another person by biting and ripping his face to death."
Vega also wrote, "The police officer confronted the aggressor, and he was like a rabid dog and confronted the officer. Then the officer shot the person four times."
The Miami Herald reports similar details: "The officer, who has not been identified, approached and saw that the naked man was actually chewing the other man's head, according to witnesses."
The Miami Police Department confirmed they shot one man after police tried to stop an assault.
"They attempted to separate them, there was some sort of confrontation," said Det. Willie Moreno of the Miami Police Department.
Police have not released the identities of the men or officers involved.
A police source said the man bit off parts of the victim's cheek bone, ear, and nose. Officers said they couldn't take any chances because it appeared the attacker was enraged and that he ripped off his own clothes and refused orders to back off.
The officer on the scene believed the attacker was on cocaine.
The victim was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
The incident happened near the west end of the MacArthur Causeway and Biscayne Boulevard, near the Miami Herald building.
Larry Vega said he witnessed the attack.
He said there was blood everywhere, and that he couldn't make out the victim's face. Vega added that the attacker was pulling flesh from the victim's face and tossing it to the side.
Vegas also wrote to Local 10 on Saturday, saying, "I stopped a City of Miami police officer and informed him that a homeless man was killing another person by biting and ripping his face to death."
Vega also wrote, "The police officer confronted the aggressor, and he was like a rabid dog and confronted the officer. Then the officer shot the person four times."
The Miami Herald reports similar details: "The officer, who has not been identified, approached and saw that the naked man was actually chewing the other man's head, according to witnesses."
The Miami Police Department confirmed they shot one man after police tried to stop an assault.
"They attempted to separate them, there was some sort of confrontation," said Det. Willie Moreno of the Miami Police Department.
Police have not released the identities of the men or officers involved.
