Deputies were called to a report of a woman harming herself with a knife, officials said.
MIAMI, FL — A 52-year-old woman died Saturday after a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy shot her during a call in northwest Miami-Dade, authorities said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation into the deputy-involved shooting, which happened near a residential neighborhood north of Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.
The shooting drew fresh attention because it unfolded during a call that officials said involved a person in crisis, and because family members on scene questioned how deputies handled the moments after gunfire. Investigators have not publicly identified the woman or the deputy who fired, and officials have released few details about what occurred in the minutes before the shooting. What is known so far comes from a brief public statement by the sheriff’s office and accounts gathered at the scene as the investigation began.
Deputies from the sheriff’s office Northwest District responded at about 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, to the area of Northwest 189th Street and Northwest 55th Avenue after receiving a report that an adult woman was harming herself with a knife, authorities said. Deputies tried to establish a dialogue with her, officials said. During an altercation, a deputy discharged a service weapon and struck the woman. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews took her to a local hospital, where she later died. Authorities said no deputies were injured.
The sheriff’s office did not describe the altercation in detail, including where the woman was when she was shot, how close the deputy was, or whether deputies used other tactics before gunfire. Officials also did not say how many shots were fired, whether any other weapons were used, or whether the woman moved toward deputies. The agency did not release the woman’s name, the name of the deputy who fired, or any body-worn camera or surveillance video. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing and that no further information was available Saturday night.
Relatives who gathered near the scene said they were left with questions as authorities worked to secure the area and begin interviews. One woman who identified the victim as her mother said she was on the phone with her 12-year-old sister when she heard gunshots. She said her father was out of the country and that, in her view, there were no guns in the home. She also questioned why she was not immediately told where her mother had been taken and why her younger sister was questioned without an adult present. The sheriff’s office did not respond publicly Saturday to those concerns, and investigators have not said what witnesses reported.
The shooting happened near the boundary of a neighborhood of single-family homes and busy roads that feed traffic toward Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport and industrial areas nearby. By early evening, the intersection around Northwest 55th Avenue and Northwest 189th Street was being used as a staging point for law enforcement vehicles and rescue crews, with neighbors watching from a distance as investigators worked. Officials did not say whether the woman lived in the immediate area or whether the encounter unfolded indoors or outside. The sheriff’s office said only that deputies were responding “to the area” for the report involving a knife.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators typically take the lead in deputy-involved shootings in the county, handling evidence collection and interviews before presenting findings to prosecutors for review. In this case, officials said FDLE was investigating and that the inquiry remained ongoing. Authorities have not announced whether the deputy’s actions will be reviewed by a grand jury, whether prosecutors will issue a public decision, or when any reports might be released. The medical examiner is expected to determine the official cause and manner of death, but officials did not provide a timetable for those results.
In the hours after the shooting, the scene was marked by a mix of routine procedure and visible grief. Family members lingered near the police activity, speaking with each other and trying to gather information as investigators documented the location. Neighbors and passersby slowed to look as patrol vehicles remained parked along the roadway. The sheriff’s office statement emphasized that deputies tried to talk with the woman before the altercation and that the investigation was still in its early stages. Family members, meanwhile, said they wanted clearer answers about why the encounter ended in gunfire and what steps were taken to prevent it.
As of Sunday, authorities had not released the woman’s identity or additional details about the altercation, and FDLE said the investigation was continuing. Officials have not announced a public briefing date, and the next milestone is the release of investigative and medical examiner findings once reviews are complete.
Author note: Last updated February 8, 2026.