Officials identified the fallen deputy as 27-year-old Devin Jaramillo; investigators worked into the night near Southwest 128th Street.
MIAMI, Fla. — A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot and killed Friday after responding to a traffic crash in the Kendall area, the sheriff said. Deputy Devin Jaramillo, 27, was wounded in an altercation shortly before 4 p.m. and later died at a hospital in southwest Miami-Dade.
Authorities said Jaramillo was answering a crash call when a confrontation unfolded near the 12200 block of Southwest 128th Street. Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz called the killing a “brutal” attack and said the department is in mourning. A large procession later escorted the deputy’s body from HCA Florida Kendall Hospital to the medical examiner’s office. Investigators spent hours documenting the scene as the agency worked to establish a clear timeline, identify all involved parties and determine what led to the gunfire. The shooting prompted sympathies from local officials and a show of support from first responders across South Florida.
Witness accounts and initial agency statements point to a call for a collision in the Kendall District that escalated rapidly. Jaramillo arrived around 4 p.m. to assess the crash when a struggle ensued with at least one person at the scene. During that struggle, the deputy was shot. Fellow deputies and nearby Good Samaritans rendered aid before fire rescue crews transported him to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. Sheriff Cordero-Stutz announced his death Friday evening outside the hospital, describing Jaramillo as a son and friend who had recently graduated the academy. A motorcade formed around 8 p.m., with fire rescue hoisting a large American flag along Bird Road as the escort continued to the medical examiner’s office. Overnight, crime scene technicians marked evidence clusters near businesses along 128th Street as traffic was rerouted around the cordoned area.
Officials have not released the name of a suspect. The sheriff said investigators are still reviewing what happened in the minutes before the shooting and whether anyone else at the crash scene played a role. Law enforcement sources said one person believed to be involved died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound; another person was detained for questioning as detectives canvassed the area and collected surveillance video from surrounding storefronts. The sheriff’s office has not confirmed the condition or identity of the person who died at the scene and has not said what type of weapon was used. Detectives are examining body-worn camera recordings, dispatch audio and nearby security footage to clarify the sequence of events, including when the first 911 calls were made and how quickly the initial crash call transitioned into a use-of-force encounter.
Before joining the sheriff’s office, Jaramillo served with the Coral Gables Police Department for nearly four years, according to that agency. He graduated from the sheriff’s academy in May 2024 and was assigned to the Kendall District. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the loss heartbreaking and extended condolences to the deputy’s family and colleagues. Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones wrote that agencies across the region were grieving together. Outside the hospital Friday night, dozens of officers, deputies and firefighters stood in lines as the motorcade formed. Many saluted as the procession passed, while residents gathered quietly behind barricades, some placing their hands over their hearts as the vehicles rolled out with lights activated.
Investigators are treating the location near Southwest 128th Street as the primary scene, with the hospital and the medical examiner’s office as secondary sites for evidence collection and documentation. Standard procedures call for a comprehensive review of any shooting that results in death. Detectives will map the scene, collect shell casings and other physical evidence, and obtain forensic downloads from cameras in patrol vehicles and nearby businesses. The State Attorney’s Office is expected to be briefed as part of the routine review, and officials said additional updates would be provided when next of kin notifications and core investigative steps are complete. The sheriff’s office did not release a detailed incident report Friday night and said more information will come after preliminary interviews.
Southwest 128th Street is a busy commercial corridor near the Three Lakes and Kendall communities, where late afternoon traffic is heavy with drivers leaving business parks and big-box stores. Residents described a sudden influx of sirens around 4 p.m. and a rapid expansion of a perimeter with marked and unmarked units. Outside the hospital, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue raised a flag from a ladder truck as the escort formed, a familiar tableau in South Florida in the wake of line-of-duty deaths. As word spread, agencies from across the region shared messages of solidarity. “Regardless of the color of our uniforms, there are no jurisdictional boundaries when one of our own has fallen,” one police chief wrote.
The sheriff’s office did not say how many gunshots were fired or whether the deputy’s service weapon was discharged during the struggle. It remains unknown how the initial crash occurred, how many vehicles were involved, and whether the people at the crash scene had any prior contact with law enforcement. Detectives are working to verify the roles of everyone present and whether any person fled before the perimeter was established. Officials emphasized that the inquiry is still in the early stages and that conclusions about motive or pre-planning would be premature until interviews and forensic tests are complete. Public information officers urged patience as investigators stitched together a minute-by-minute timeline from radio logs and camera footage.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced Friday night. In similar cases, agencies typically release an honor guard schedule, a public viewing time and traffic advisories for processions once the family finalizes plans. The sheriff said support staff were with Jaramillo’s relatives and colleagues. The agency also indicated it would release a full biography at a later date with details of the deputy’s education and assignments. Late Friday, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office took custody of the deputy’s body, a step that precedes autopsy and official cause-of-death findings. Any criminal charges related to others at the scene, if warranted, would follow once detectives and prosecutors determine probable cause.
“The next few days are going to be very difficult for us,” Sheriff Cordero-Stutz said outside the hospital. “We will continue to make this county safe.” Near the hospital entrance, mourners left small floral tributes and blue ribbons on a fence as the crowd thinned overnight. By early Saturday, patrol units remained posted along stretches of Southwest 128th Street while technicians rotated in to complete mapping and measurements before daybreak, a routine step meant to capture daylight images of the scene’s layout and sightlines.
As of early Saturday, authorities had not released the suspect’s identity or confirmed the number of people directly involved in the struggle that preceded the shooting. The sheriff’s office said it would provide the next substantive update after key witness interviews and a review of body-camera footage are complete, likely later in the weekend. Road closures around the 12200 block of Southwest 128th Street are expected to ease once the scene mapping finishes. A memorial procession schedule and funeral details will be announced when available.