Director of Miami-Dade police recovering after shooting himself in the head following argument with his wife

The director of the Miami-Dade Police Department is expected to recover most of his function and faculties after he shot himself in the head following a "heated conversation" with his wife.

The steps leading to that unfortunate event began on the evening of July 23. At that time, 52-year-old Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III and his wife of 30 years, Jody Ramirez, were in Tampa for a conference for the Florida Sheriffs Association. At around 6:30 p.m., witnesses reported that Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez had been arguing loudly outside the JW Marriot hotel, where they were staying, and that Mr. Ramirez had threatened to kill himself.

"What a witness saw was they were arguing," a hotel employee later told Tampa police, according to bodycam footage. "They came out here, [Freddy Ramirez] said, 'I'm going to end it all,' and put a gun in his mouth."

About 15 minutes later, more than a dozen Tampa officers, at least one of whom wore a bulletproof vest, knocked on the door of the couple's room on the 12th floor. The Ramirezes seemed surprised that the police had arrived. Jody Ramirez almost immediately exited the room with her hands up, while her husband was placed in handcuffs.

"Who called the cops?" Freddy Ramirez demanded to know, according to police footage. "You know I'm the director of the Miami-Dade police department?" he also added.

In a subsequent conversation with officers, Mr. Ramirez insisted that he hadn't done "anything." He stated that he did not "touch" his wife in any harmful way and that officers were welcome to confirm that assertion with her. He told officers that they had just been discussing "marriage stuff."

In a separate conversation, away from her husband, Jody Ramirez confirmed that the two had been having a "heated conversation" about their relationship, which she reasoned was not unusual after 30 years of marriage. She also assured officers that she did not feel at all in danger. "If I felt unsafe I would tell all of you right this minute," she told officers, according to bodycam footage. "He has plenty of demons from the job, as I'm sure you guys are all probably aware of."

Shortly afterward, Tampa police released Freddy Ramirez from the handcuffs and left. The couple then apparently checked out of the hotel and began driving home.

At around 8:30 p.m., Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava received a call from Freddy Ramirez, offering his resignation as director of Miami-Dade PD, the mayor said in a press conference a few days later. Ramirez, who was driving at the time, told Levine Cava that he had "made a mistake" and "was prepared" to resign, the mayor recalled. Levine Cava responded by suggesting that he drive home safely and discuss the situation with her the following day.

Unfortunately, that conversation never occurred, because at around 9:15 p.m., about 45 minutes after speaking with the mayor, Freddy Ramirez pulled over along I-75, got out of his car, and shot himself in the head. Jody Ramirez then frantically called 911. "Oh my God, help me, help me, help me, help me!" she begged.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office deputies, and fire rescue teams raced to the scene and immediately transported Ramirez to a Tampa hospital, where he underwent surgery. Thankfully, doctors do not believe he suffered any brain damage and expect him to make a recovery, though he will likely lose the use of his right eye.

Ramirez has dedicated the last 27 years of his life to the Miami-Dade Police Department and was promoted to director in 2020. In 2022, Levine Cava expanded his role as director to include overseeing safety and emergency response of both the city's police and fire departments. That same year, Ramirez announced that he would run in 2024 for a newly created sheriff's position. Whether he still intends to compete in that race is uncertain.

Mayor Levine Cava has since nominated an interim police department director, at least temporarily. "Our police director continues to recuperate," Levine Cava said on Wednesday. "He is making progress, and we are all praying and supporting him and his family, as they continue the process of recovery."

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