Crime

Two dogs were fighting on South Beach. Then one of the owners fired a gun, cops say

A dog fight between two owners’ pets led to a shooting Friday night, Jan. 27, 2023, on Ninth Street and Washington Avenue in Miami Beach.
A dog fight between two owners’ pets led to a shooting Friday night, Jan. 27, 2023, on Ninth Street and Washington Avenue in Miami Beach.

An dog walk on South Beach led to a dogfight, a woman being shot in the leg, and the two dogs rushed to a vet on Friday evening.

A witness told TV news media that he saw two dogs fighting and the owners trying to separate them. Then he heard a shot.

“I heard a scream and when I looked over I saw two dogs fighting,” Norman Irizarry told NBC6.

“The two owners were trying to get the dogs separated then all you hear was a loud pop,” Irizarry, who works at South Beach Tattoo on 861 Washington Ave., told the station.

Miami Beach police said they got a call from the man who fired the shot around 7 p.m. on the intersection of Ninth Street and Washington Avenue near a corner 7-Eleven, WPLG reported.

According to reports the man, one of the dog owners, said he was trying to break up the fight between the two pets when he fired off a round toward the animals. The bullet hit the woman. She owned other other dog, WSVN reported.

Miami Beach police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said when officers got to the block they saw the woman and the two dogs injured.

On Saturday afternoon, Rodriguez said officers are investigating to see if charges will be filed.

Miami Beach Fire Rescue took the woman to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The dogs were taken by police to a veterinarian. Injuries to the woman and the dogs were not considered life-threatening, Rodriguez said.

Police have not released any names. The intersection reopened Friday night.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.

This story was originally published January 28, 2023 at 9:53 AM.

Howard Cohen
Miami Herald
Miami Herald consumer trends reporter Howard Cohen, a 2017 Media Excellence Awards winner, has covered pop music, theater, health and fitness, obituaries, municipal government, breaking news and general assignment. He started his career in the Features department at the Miami Herald in 1991. Cohen is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Communication. Support my work with a digital subscription
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