Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez was said to be speaking on Tuesday, less than two days after he shot himself in an apparent attempted suicide, according to the president of the police union.
South Florida Police Benevolent Association President Steadman Stahl told NBC6 that he hasn't spoken with Ramirez directly but met with Ramirez's family and was told the police director was speaking. He said the family "is very emotional" but doesn't believe Ramirez has severe brain damage at this point.
"Director Ramirez continues to positively recover post-surgery. He continues to receive outstanding medical care in Tampa surrounded by his family, loved ones, and MDPD brothers and sisters," the Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement Tuesday. "Thank you to our community and law enforcement family for all your prayers, support, and strength."
Ramirez had been attending the Florida Sheriff's Association's annual summer conference in Tampa on Sunday when he had been involved in some sort of domestic dispute with his wife at a hotel, authorities said.
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Ramirez left the hotel and was driving somewhere along I-75 in the Riverview neighborhood, toward the southern end of Hillsborough County, when he pulled over and shot himself, officials said.
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"It's a very somber time for the family, but they’re standing by his bedside and we wish him the best,” Stahl said. "From the reports I have read, it looks like the bullet went through and out the eye, but it doesn't look like it's going to be any brain damage."
A spokesperson for Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the mayor spoke with Ramirez sometime before the shooting but gave no other information on the conversation.
Levine Cava issued a statement Monday, wishing the best for the MDPD director.
"Following a critical injury in Tampa yesterday, Chief Ramirez is hospitalized and in critical but stable condition," the statement said. "All that matters right now is Chief Ramirez’s wellbeing, and I join his family, his loved ones, and all his Miami-Dade Police Department and Miami-Dade County family in praying for his swift recovery."
Levine Cava is expected to hold a news conference Wednesday to give an update on Ramirez.
Ramirez, 52, was rushed to a Tampa-area hospital and underwent surgery Monday. Miami-Dade Police said he was in stable condition.
Sources told NBC6 that Ramirez's wife was with him at the time of the incident. No one else was injured in the incident.
According to Tampa Police, officers had responded to a report of a man with a gun outside the Marriott Waterside, where the conference was being held.
Officers arrived and were given third-hand information alleging a man had pointed a gun at himself, but there were no first-hand witnesses or security camera footage capturing the alleged incident, police said.
Police said officers found Ramirez in a 12th-floor room with a woman who Ramirez said he'd been involved in an argument with.
Ramirez said he had not displayed a firearm and had no intention to harm himself or others, police said. The woman corroborated that they had an argument and that she did not have any concerns about her safety being in danger, police said.
Since there was no evidence of a crime or immediate danger, Ramirez was released at the scene, police said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol have launched a joint investigation into the incident.
Ramirez had announced earlier this year he would run for sheriff in 2024 to try to keep his position as head of the police department.
He first joined Miami-Dade Police in 1995 and worked his way up through the ranks. He became police director in 2020 and then received a further promotion to Miami-Dade County chief of public safety.
The Miami-Dade Police Department is the largest in the southeastern U.S. and 8th largest in the country, with more than 3,000 sworn officers and over 1,000 civilian staff.
Levine Cava has appointed Deputy Director Stephanie Daniels to MDPD Interim Director until further notice. According to her LinkedIn profile, Daniels has worked her way up through the MDPD over the past 31 years, starting as an officer in 1992.
