FL: *Breaking News* Suspect in police shootings not citizen

No online / official source yet - this was from a live verbal interview with reporter in the area (per Fox news) that was reporting on the background of shooting suspect: a "Kevin Wehner" - who said the suspect was "from the islands" - not a US citizen. The shooting happened as a group of officers tried to stop a vehicle in the suburban Miami area.

A large-scale manhunt is now underway in the area. Suspect is considered armed and dangerous.

4 police officers were shot with an assault type rifle. One officer has died, the others are undergoing medical attention.

I'll post a better link when I get one.
(This post: 11:18am Pacific)

Here's a link to the local news station that CNN and Fox use for updates:

http://www.local10.com/news/14106035/detail.html

Gee, I wish <edited - one of our regular posters> was logged on at the moment - I'm sure she could fill us in much better. (Let's hope she is not one of those directly affected by this).

See national update to date cable coverage at CNN, Fox, MSNBC:

www.foxnews.com

www.cnn.com

www.msnbc.com

Manhunt Under Way After Gunman Shoots 4 Florida Police Officers, Killing 1

Thursday, September 13, 2007

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CUTLER BAY, Fla. — A gunman shot and killed a Florida police officer and injured three others Thursday, prompting a massive manhunt and a lockdown of several Miami-area schools, officials said.

Kevin Wehner, 30, fired a high-powered weapon and fled the scene after officers approached his vehicle for a traffic stop, according to police.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, a former police officer, said the "extremely violent" suspect "assassinated" a police officer.

"We need to find him as soon as possible and make sure that he's behind bars, where he belongs," Alvarez said.

The three injured officers are in serious condition, but expected to survive, said a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Police described Wehner as a black heavy-set male with a full beard and short hair, wearing a blue shirt. Authorities said he left his Honda near a canal.

Police plan to examine the vehicle for any type of evidence that could help find the suspect, said a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The officers were conducting burglary surveillance detail when they noticed a white Honda Accord being driven erratically at the entrance to a local neighborhood. When police stopped the vehicle the driver shot the four officers and fled, authorities said.

"Truly this is a sad day for Miami-Dade County," Alvarez said at an afternoon news conference. "It’s gut-wrenching; it makes you sick to your stomach."

"He is not a person of interest; he is the suspect that we are looking for," Alvarez said.

Hundreds of officers were combing the area for the suspect and at one point made a dump truck release its contents.

Click here for the story at WSVN.com.

Police were urging residents to lock their doors and stay inside as K-9 units and SWAT team members hunted the suspect.

Authorities had locked down Pines Villa Elementary, Mays Middle, Whigham Elementary and Centennial Middle schools. Children had the day off, but teachers were required to work.

One of the four officers shot, a female, was airlifted from the scene and was undergoing surgery for her injuries, Miami-Dade Police Detective Bobby Williams said.

Two of the victims were plainclothes officers and the other two were in uniform, Williams said.

The officers' identities were being withheld until their families were notified of the shootings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296702,00.html

4 Miami-Dade police officers shot, 1 dead; suspect fled

CUTLER BAY, Fla. (AP) -- A gunman armed with a high-powered weapon killed one Miami-Dade County police officer and injured three others Thursday and then fled the scene, causing a large manhunt that swept through a residential neighborhood, officials said.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez confirmed that one of officers died. All four had been brought to hospitals, but authorities refused to release further information on them because they were trying to notify their families.

Investigators were looking for the 30-year-old suspected shooter identified as Kevin Wehner, who was last seen driving a white Honda Accord, said police spokeswoman Linda O'Brien. There may have been another man involved in the shooting, she said.

The officers originally were conducting burglary surveillance when they stopped the man because he was driving a car erratically, O'Brien said. He then opened fire. It was not immediately clear if the officers returned fire.

After the shootings, officers were seen on live television coverage drawing their guns as they briefly surrounded a house and then moved on. They also searched through a garbage truck as others scoured a grassy area on foot.

Authorities said it was incomprehensible that four of their colleagues had been targeted.

"You say that it is not true," said Robert Parker, director of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "You doubt it for a second or two."

Alvarez said numerous agencies were assisting in the search for the suspect.

"We need the community's assistance in trying to locate this extremely dangerous individual who's still on the loose," he said.

Article Image

Cutler Bay is a suburb southwest of downtown Miami. Several schools in the area were on lockdown due to the search. Parts of Florida's Turnpike were shut down.

The shootings Thursday followed two other officers' shootings last month in neighboring Broward County. One was killed, the other was badly injured.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of this suspect, call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

http://www3.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI61405/

It is a very sad day for the police department and law enforcement in South Florida. Neighboring Broward County recenty had one deputy critically wounded by a person who has a immigration hold on him and another deputy was shot and killed and now this. I have not heard much more that th BOLOs that the department has put out on the police radio system. There have been rumors of the man being Jamacian. If I learn anymore I will add to it.
I have been in the area this happened in during training and it is full of blacks and Hispanics and many illegals. It is an area where I would advise anyone not to go into unless they are armed.

Thanks for the update swatchick!

I was hoping a). you're ok, and b). you'd chime-in on this one.

Be safe down there. :D :wink:

CNN (Chuck Roberts, John Zarella) reporting that the authorities are not exactly sure if they have the perp's correct ID information and/or whether the photo of the person they think is the suspect is correct.

Hmmmm... does this pattern of events sound familiar?

CNN now reporting that the perp's real name is not Kevin Wehner, but actually is: Shawn Labeet (25-yrs old).

The reason for the vague understanding for the ID of the suspect was due to the fact that "the suspect had assumed the identity of another man" - according to the spokeswoman that described the confusion in a press conference just now..

Also: "It appears that Kevin Wehner's identity was used by Labeet".

Oh joy...Do any of the stories say whether or not he was here legally from Jamaica?

Currently I have not heard anything more than he is Jamacian. No information has come through the police department stating his true immigration status. Now if he has fake ID then it is due to either a) attempting to hide a criminal past or b) he is an illegal alien. As I have said previously, there are many illegals in those areas of South Miami Dade County.

Thank you, I have errands to run, would you please keep us updated?

The suspect is Shawn Sherwin LaBeet and there is a BOLO out for a black Vibe with the tag of W59 EPT. He is with a woman and 2 kids.
I hope he did not take them hostage. If she is helping him voluntarily thenshe is one dumb person.

Wehner's father called Fox News from NYC to say that his son's ID was stolen YESTERDAY in Jacksonville, and Wehner made a police report YESTERDAY in Jacksonville.. The police in Miami said they were 'deliberately misled' by 'someone' as to the real identity of the perp. Very strange...

The new perp, Shawn Lebeet, looks eerily like one of the Freeway Snipers who killed several people a few years ago...I think his name was Mohammed. At any rate, he was an illegal Muslim from Belize. I'll bet dollars to donuts that Lebeet is here illegally. Whatever the case, he was looking for a confrontation with police...why else would he have a bullet-proof vest and weapons. It's too bad the police lost 5 hours of valuable time looking for the wrong guy!

The jerk probably had the ID in the car and people don't always drive their own cars. In fact the car he was driving may have been reported stolen. In South Florida you would never believe how many old cars get stolen. The new ones are rarely taken and if theyt are it is usually a more sophisticate auto theft ring.

So sad! Will follow this one. If anyone confirms his identity/status, please post it. Thanks.

He has an open assault warrant in Broward County. The black 2007 Pontiac Vibe he is driving is a rental as per latest BOLO. There is a woman who claims to have info as we speak. Now with this name and picture I wonder if he is Haitian.
The black car was found but the suspect was not driving it. At this time even many staff members do not have the officers names. There will be a press conference called soon.

[Update: - I'm including a more recent CNN story in the same thread here as it is closely related and updates the info in the OP. Still no updated nor confirmation of the perps status - contrary to info that was given early on in the reporting of the story...]


Suspected Cop Killer Dies in Shootout

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Police shot and killed a man suspected of shooting four officers, one fatally, following a traffic stop hours earlier, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez said early Friday.
art.wanted.jpg

Police say Shawn Sherwin Labeet was killed in a shootout.

Shawn Sherwin Labeet, 25, died just before midnight after a shootout with police. The confrontation took place following an intense manhunt.

When police confronted Labeet at an apartment complex in Pembroke Pines, "there was an exchange of gunfire, and the suspect was shot and killed," Alvarez told reporters.

"In his possession he had a firearm and an extra clip."

Police said there had been a previous warrant out for his arrest for aggravated assault from a September 2002 incident.

"The community is a lot safer tonight now that he is not on the streets," said Miami-Dade Police Director Robert Parker. Video Watch officials announce Labeet's death »

It was "very good investigative work" that enabled officials to locate Labeet "on the same day of the occurrence," Parker added. "Unfortunately, he chose to confront our law enforcement officials a second time."

The initial shootings happened about 11 a.m. as the officers were on a burglary detail at a housing complex in Cutler Bay, Florida, Alvarez said. They saw a vehicle driving erratically, he said, stopped it and confronted the man police believe is Labeet.

The man got out of the car and opened fire with an assault rifle, Alvarez said. "Without any remorse, Labeet left the officers there to die and fled the scene."

The rifle used in the shooting was found at a nearby canal.

Alvarez said the officer who died was 37 years old and survived by a wife and two young children. He had been with the department since 2003.

A second officer, 31-year-old Jody Wright, remained hospitalized Thursday night.

Her father, Dennis Dalley, told reporters she had undergone surgery as doctors tried to save her leg. He said he remains hopeful they will do so, but that will require many more surgeries. Dalley said Wright has been an officer for about a year and a half.

The two other officers, ages 36 and 34, had been released from the hospital Thursday night, Alvarez told reporters.

"By the grace of God, we don't have four officers dead, because he certainly tried his best," he said. "There were multiple, and I mean multiple, rounds fired at the police officers.... That man didn't hesitate to shoot."

There was initial confusion regarding the identity of the suspect, Alvarez said, because Labeet's girlfriend, who was apprehended at the scene of the shootings, gave authorities the wrong name. "She purposely misled and delayed our investigation," he said.

Labeet had stolen the identity of another man, Kevin Wehner, 30, Alvarez said, and had been using Wehner's name and identification. That was the name initially given to police.

After Wehner's name and picture were released to the media, the real Wehner contacted the Jacksonville, Florida, Sheriff's Office near his home. Jacksonville authorities said Wehner had come to the sheriff's office and been interviewed, and police were confident he was not involved and was a victim of identity theft.

The girlfriend will likely face charges for providing false information, Alvarez said.

Local, state and federal agencies assisted in the search for Labeet, police Cmdr. Linda O'Brien said on Thursday, and a Black Hawk helicopter was utilized.

A $22,000 reward had been offered for information leading to Labeet's arrest, O'Brien said.

The suspect's mother, brother, a woman believed to be the brother's girlfriend and her two children were questioned at the Broward County Sheriff's Office, a law enforcement source said.

A car believed connected to Labeet was found at a Target store in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a few hours after the shooting, police said. It was occupied by a man, woman and two children, who were interviewed, O'Brien said.
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The car, a 2007 black Pontiac Vibe, was rented to Labeet's brother, Shane Labeet, according to Kevin Meyer, a spokesman for the car rental company.

Parts of the complex where the shooting occurred were evacuated. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

CNN's Susan Candiotti and John Couwels contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/14/miami. ... index.html

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There was initial confusion regarding the identity of the suspect, Alvarez said, because Labeet's girlfriend, who was apprehended at the scene of the shootings, gave authorities the wrong name. "She purposely misled and delayed our investigation," he said.

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Throw her in jail.

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Labeet had stolen the identity of another man, Kevin Wehner, 30, Alvarez said, and had been using Wehner's name and identification. That was the name initially given to police.

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This is yet another angle of the identity theft problem. What if some illegal steals your ID and commits a murder? Some SWAT team could storm your house, kick in the front door and shoot you if you happened to be standing in the kitchen cutting up a chicken because you were 'armed' with a butcher knife.

This gets crazier and crazier each week. Plus now that they have killed him, they conveniently probably won't tell us whether he was illegal or not.

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Originally Posted by camilleinchicago

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There was initial confusion regarding the identity of the suspect, Alvarez said, because Labeet's girlfriend, who was apprehended at the scene of the shootings, gave authorities the wrong name. "She purposely misled and delayed our investigation," he said.

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Throw her in jail.

[quote:30gyjy2e]Labeet had stolen the identity of another man, Kevin Wehner, 30, Alvarez said, and had been using Wehner's name and identification. That was the name initially given to police.

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This is yet another angle of the identity theft problem. What if some illegal steals your ID and commits a murder? Some SWAT team could storm your house, kick in the front door and shoot you if you happened to be standing in the kitchen cutting up a chicken because you were 'armed' with a butcher knife.

This gets crazier and crazier each week. Plus now that they have killed him, they conveniently probably won't tell us whether he was illegal or not.[/quote:30gyjy2e]

but that is ok, if they steal your identity and the cops kill you in error, all they have to do is say sorry about that. On the other hand if they insult an illegal, they are racist and have lost all credibility with the people.

(anybody out there have a "gagging" avatar I can borrow?)

swatchick: Do you have any way of working any contacts in the area to find if the perp was in fact legal or not? Just curious. That would be extremely useful here to us... :D

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Originally Posted by PhredE

swatchick: Do you have any way of working any contacts in the area to find if the perp was in fact legal or not? Just curious. That would be extremely useful here to us... :D

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I also would love to know this.

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Originally Posted by cayla99

Quote:

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Originally Posted by camilleinchicago

Quote:

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There was initial confusion regarding the identity of the suspect, Alvarez said, because Labeet's girlfriend, who was apprehended at the scene of the shootings, gave authorities the wrong name. "She purposely misled and delayed our investigation," he said.

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Throw her in jail.

[quote:19rumky9]Labeet had stolen the identity of another man, Kevin Wehner, 30, Alvarez said, and had been using Wehner's name and identification. That was the name initially given to police.

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This is yet another angle of the identity theft problem. What if some illegal steals your ID and commits a murder? Some SWAT team could storm your house, kick in the front door and shoot you if you happened to be standing in the kitchen cutting up a chicken because you were 'armed' with a butcher knife.

This gets crazier and crazier each week. Plus now that they have killed him, they conveniently probably won't tell us whether he was illegal or not.

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but that is ok, if they steal your identity and the cops kill you in error, all they have to do is say sorry about that. On the other hand if they insult an illegal, they are racist and have lost all credibility with the people.

(anybody out there have a "gagging" avatar I can borrow?)[/quote:19rumky9]

I agree -THROW THAT WOMAN IN JAIL!
That's true about IDENTITY THEFT. There are so many ILLEGAL ALIENS running around with several alisas and stolen id's. I think that if an illegal alien is caught using fake id's, all their fake aliases should each receive individual sentences. So if one of them is caught for murder, each alias should be tried for murder too. That will put them away for a long time. Just dreaming. :?

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That's true about IDENTITY THEFT. There are so many ILLEGAL ALIENS running around with several alisas and stolen id's. I think that if an illegal alien is caught using fake id's, all their fake aliases should each receive individual sentences. So if one of them is caught for murder, each alias should be tried for murder too. That will put them away for a long time. Just dreaming.

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I would love to see that happen!

I have many comments on this one. The man killed was not an illegal but I am pushing for the police to get immigration status on his girlfriend and friends due to their looks and last names. She was the one that gave the wrong name to police and was the white person with black hair that was originally mentioned in the BOLO. Then he went to other friends of his house where he shaved and changed clothes and they helped get him out of the area. In fact SWAT members went into that house as was shown on TV and were told by an owner that the son had shaved as he had a job interview. The girlfriend is in jail as are 2 other males and another female who assisted him. The shoot out was good as he was shot in the head and over 100 rounds of ammunition was used. It occurred at his mother's condo.
Now what really got me going is at the area where residents were not allowed access to their homes were lots of illegals. If you watched the news you would have seen it. In Miami as much as people try to claim profiling, you can tell who some of them are by the way they act and dress. Legals who speak Spanish in public are usually dressed alot nicer even if they don't wear designer clothing and the women wear some makeup. They also have better hygiene practices than many illegals. It really irked me that we couldn't get ICE involved at the time. They could have round up several bus loads. Another interesting fact was when the Red Cross came and handed out food for those who could not return to their homes they gave out Mexican food. The meal I saw had rice beans and a burrito.

Take a look at those who aided and abeted him.
http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_257182022.html

I HAVE THESE KINDS OF DREAMS ALL THE TIME.

Thanks for the update swatchick - must appreciated.
Hope all your colleagues are a-ok. Of course, I'm very sorry that one officer was killed and others injured.

It appears that the initial reporting I had caught on the story (via CNN TV, not online) involved a local reporter's comments and they proved to be incorrect - many apologies to all for the inaccuracy.... oh well.
Nevertheless, the story is still important for a variety of reasons.