This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
Published on December 6, 2019, a dramatic police chase unfolded in South Florida, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.
According to George Piro, the special agent in charge of the F.B.I.'s Miami field office, the incident began with an attempted robbery at Regent Jewelers in Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County. Two carjackers burst into the upscale shopping destination, sparking a shootout with the shopkeeper and police officers.
As the robbers fled the scene, they hijacked a UPS truck at gunpoint, kidnapping its driver. The ensuing police chase spanned two densely populated counties, with over a dozen law enforcement officers involved in the pursuit.
Video footage of the shootout, which was broadcast by television networks in South Florida, showed occupants of other vehicles scrambling as gunfire erupted during the afternoon rush in Broward County.
Law enforcement officials declined to publicly identify the deceased or provide information about the weapons used in the shootout or an earlier exchange of gunfire between the carjackers and the jewelry store owner.
Special Agent Piro stated, 'It is very early in the investigative process. There are a lot of questions that are still unanswered, and we will be working throughout the night as we not only process the crime scenes but also try to identify all the evidence and facts associated with this robbery.'
Chief Edward J. Hudak Jr. of the Coral Gables Police Department explained that the episode began shortly after 4 p.m. when the two carjackers burst into the jewelry store. Police officers responded within a minute and a half, but by that time, the robbers and the shopkeeper had opened fire on each other, and the robbers had fled.
UPS confirmed the death of their driver in a statement, expressing condolences to the family and friends of the employee and the other innocent victims involved in the incident.
