Bodycam: Fla. Police Officer Injured by Headbutt from Suspect Threatening to Set Self on Fire

A Florida police officer was injured over the weekend when he was headbutted in a clash with a suspect armed with a knife as he was allegedly disrupting traffic.

The confrontation happened at about 9 a.m. Saturday when Miami Beach police responded to reports of a camouflage-garbed man walking into traffic, WTVJ-TV reports. Once at the scene, officers encountered the suspect—identified as Saliya Siby, according to WPLG-TV—who was armed with a knife and carrying accelerant. 

Authorities said Siby acted erratically as he spoke with police. He allegedly threatened to set himself on fire and told officers he wanted to be shot.

"Shoot! Shoot!" Siby can be heard telling officers in recently released body camera footage from the incident. 

Police tried to calm Siby and de-escalate the situation as more officers were called in. When that proved unsuccessful, less-lethal weapons were used.

Officers moved in to take Siby into custody, and a struggle ensued as police tried to search and handcuff the suspect.

"During the search, the individual violently resisted—headbutting an officer, who sustained a laceration requiring stitches," the police department stated in a new release that included the body camera footage.

Siby was arrested, and he faces multiple charges, including three felonies, according to WPLG. 

"This incident demonstrates the training, expertise, and discipline of our officers—who, even under the most dangerous circumstances, rely on their skillset to protect our community while working toward the safest possible resolution," the department stated.