Miami-Dade County Police Department Director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez remains in stable condition after shooting himself on Sunday and needing surgery at a Tampa hospital, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Levine Cava gave an update on his condition and revealed some details around the shooting, which came after an altercation with his wife at a hotel in Tampa that involved a response by police officers.
Ramirez, who was in the city for a conference of the Florida Sheriff’s Association, had spoken by phone with Levine Cava around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, she said, and during that conversation he offered to resign on the back of the public incident.
"He was very remorseful and I reassured him that we would talk the following morning," Levine Cava said. "He told me he was driving back to Miami at that time."
Later that evening he shot himself with his own gun on the side of the I-75, suffering what police have described as a critical wound to the head. Hours after the incident, Levine Cava was by his side at the hospital.
"I love Freddy. He's an amazing human being," Levine Cava said. "He is the best of law enforcement, what law enforcement means. I have total trust in his leadership."
She would not elaborate further on his version of the events that preceded the shooting.
We’re grateful to learn that Chief Ramirez is stable following this afternoon’s surgery — and we are so thankful for the outpouring of support for the Ramirez family during this difficult moment. https://t.co/8hp421V2yk
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) July 24, 2023
Ramirez has been with the department since 1995. He became director of the Miami-Dade Police Department in 2020, and led its response to the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside in June of 2021.
"I elevated him to the dual role of chief of safety and emergency response, as well as being director of MDPD," Levine Cava said.
"It's a role in which he was wholly committed to advancing our public safety initiatives, running a top notch police department, overseeing our Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and emergency management departments, and always, always supporting our officers and first responders."
Few details as investigation continues
Commissioner Mark Glass of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had told reporters earlier this week that Ramirez had suffered serious head injuries and that his wife was not injured during the shooting on Sunday.
Officials have given few details on the incident while the FDLE and the Florida Highway Patrol run a joint investigation.
"Law enforcement is a demanding and stressful career and occupation," Glass said on Monday. "Director Ramirez has dedicated nearly 30 years of his life to public service and keeping the citizens of Miami-Dade safe. We pray for his full recovery."
Levine Cava said stigma around mental health illness must be eliminated.
"This incident is also a tragic reminder of the critical role that mental health plays in our law enforcement officers well-being — all of our public safety officers," Levine Cava said. "Mental health will always be a concern for our officers and our public safety personnel who put their lives on the line and leave their families each and every morning without a guarantee that they will ever return."
Stephanie Daniels has been appointed interim police director, while J.D. Patterson has been appointed as interim chief of public safety.
If you or someone you know experiences a mental health emergency, help is available by calling or texting 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline.
