Miami-Dade police director returns home after self-inflicted gunshot wound

Sept. 16 (UPI) — The Miami-Dade Police Department says its chief, Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III, has returned home following nearly two months of hospitalization due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound in July.

The department’s interim director, Stephanie V. Daniels, said in a statement issued to officers late Friday and obtained by media outlets that Ramirez is back in Miami after his long hospitalization in Tampa, Fla.

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“The support, and well-wishes from his MDPD family have played an integral role in his healing process,” she said in the statement. “He has been deeply touched by the outpouring of support.”

Ramirez himself added, “Thank you for the continued thoughts and well wishes. Stay safe!”

Ramirez, 52, was hospitalized on July 23 following what the Florida Department of Law Enforcement initially called an “incident” on Interstate 75 south of Tampa. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister later said Ramirez suffered his injuries while attempting to take his own life in Riverview, Fla., following a “domestic dispute” at a Tampa hotel.

The next month, the Ramirez family issued a statement refuting reports that the police director had pulled a gun on his wife Jody during an argument preceding the shooting.

In their statement, the couple emphasized that Jody had instead intervened to prevent Freddy’s death.

“Jody was able to grab her husband’s arm so that resulting injury was serious but not fatal. She saved Freddy’s life,” the couple said, adding that “at no time was there even a hint of physical aggression between her and Freddy. Nor is there the slightest evidence of such contact — not from Jody, not from a witness and not from any of the various security cameras operating throughout the hotel.

“Further, the reckless allegation that he took out his gun prior to checking out from the hotel that evening is false,” the pair said.