HIALEAH GARDENS, Fla. --
An off-duty Miami-Dade police officer shot two of three men who attacked him at a Hialeah ATM on Monday morning, according to police.
The incident happened just after 2 a.m. Monday at a shopping center near 103rd Street and Northwest 80th Avenue.
“He was bruised. He had several scratches on his arms and face,” said Miami-Dade Detective Javier Baez.
Investigators said that during the scuffle, the officer pulled out his gun and shot two of the attackers.
The three men left the scene and drove to a hospital, where they were later arrested. The two who were shot are in stable condition.
“We don’t know what the motive is at this time. It might have been robbery. It might have just been a fight they were looking for,” said Baez.
Police said the officer was in his personal car, so his attackers would not have known he was an off-duty policeman.
Investigators said they responded quickly because the victim’s girlfriend, who was with him at the time of the attack, ran to the General Store next door to call 911.
The off-duty officer, whom Local 10 is not identifying because he works undercover, is a member of the Miami-Dade Police Department's elite Tactical Narcotics Team, whose officers train for and work some of the county's most dangerous assignments.
Shay Ben-David, a former commando in the Israeli army, is the officer's weapons trainer. Ben-David said the officer is one of the team's best.
"(He) shoots better, more accurate, faster, be able to move. He trains hard. He's highly motivated. He's very talented,"
Colleagues said the officer only receives bruises and scratches. A marked police unit was parked outside his home Monday.
"It's bad for anyone, even a highly capable individual like this. His training kicked in, and he was able to come out on top," Ben-David said.
Police are reviewing surveillance video to determine exactly what led to the attack.
The shooting is under internal police investigation.
