Two Miami Cops Shot While Serving Arrest Warrant
Jan. 20, 2011— -- Two Miami police officers were shot and killed today during a shootout with a man they were trying to arrest for murder.
The gunman, identified as 23-year-old Johnny Simms, was also shot and killed.
Officer Roger Castillo died at the scene in the city's Liberty City neighborhood. The second officer, Amanda Haworth, was shot "multiple times," according to Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado.
Haworth was rushed to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where she underwent surgery, but she died of her wounds.
Officer Dierdre Beecher suffered a knee injury and is being treated at a hospital. Another officer on the squad shot Simms, killing him and ending the gunfight.
"There are so many things we don't know right now," said Miami-Dade Police Department Director James Loftus. "We've had a number of guns recovered from the scene."
"That guy is evil," Loftus said, referring to Simms. "He murdered two of my people today."
According to Loftus, Castillo had been on the force for 21 years and is survived by three children. Haworth, a 23-year veteran, is survived by one child.
"Almost every night when I go to bed this is the number one nightmare for me," said Loftus. "I was always hoping I'd get through my tenure without having to talk about something like this."
Before Haworth died Miami Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Perez said, "We need to pray for her. The other officer we lost."
The cops were members of Miami's Career Criminals Task Force, Regalado said at a news conference today. They were working as part of a U.S. Marshals task force when the gunfire broke out.
Loftus said he was angry about the officers' deaths and said they were well trained and had taken proper precautions.
"They were in body armor with clear police IDs on it," Loftus said.
Simms, who they were trying to arrest, was wanted on a homicide warrant, Regalado said.
"There was a confrontation," the mayor said, and then bullets rang out.
Two schools, the Thena Crowder Elementary School and Little River Elementary School, were locked down in the wake of the shooting.
