Miami

Armed suspect shot by Miami Police dealing with mental health issues, according to brother

Police received a call after 8 p.m. Friday from neighbors about a man shooting a gun in the air.

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A man armed with a rifle was shot by officers in Miami Friday night, police said.

The incident happened around 8 p.m. in the area of Northeast 10th Avenue and 79th Street.

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Miami Police officials said officers had responded to the area after receiving several calls of a man shooting a rifle into the air.

There was a confrontation and one of the officers opened fire, shooting the man in the torso, officials said.

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The man was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center where he was in critical condition.

Police didn't release the man's identity but his brother identified him as Christian Labaut.

His brother, Pedro Labaut, said the image of his younger brother laying in a pool of blood is something he can’t forget.

"He was unconscious on the floor, I thought he was dead,” Labaut said.

Labaut said he was in bed Friday night when his brother Christian went outside and starting shooting his rifle in the air. He said once police showed up, his brother was running back inside.

"I saw the cop with a rifle to him, and they said 'drop your weapon,'” Pedro Labaut said. “Before I went outside I looked out the door and he's on the floor unconscious in a puddle of blood, I thought he was dead."

Labaut said earlier in the day, his brother was outside shooting another gun into the air. He says police came out and later left.

"They came over here and let him go, you should have taken him earlier, now he's fighting for his life,” Labaut said.

NBC6 reached out to Miami Police Saturday about Labaut’s claims. A spokesman said they didn’t have that information and would check on Monday morning.

Labaut says his brother deals with mental health issues and is taking medication.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, which is standard in police shootings.

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