Miami police chief suffers self-inflicted gunshot, police say

Miami-Dade police director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez was hospitalized in critical condition after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday, police say.

Driving the news: Ramirez, who is running for Miami-Dade sheriff, shot himself on the side of I-75 near Tampa after a domestic incident, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Axios after multiple outlets reported it.

• The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Florida Highway Patrol, which are leading the investigation, said no one else was injured.
• Ramirez was in Tampa attending a Florida Sheriffs Association conference.

Details: The Miami-Dade Police Department said last night that Ramirez was in stable condition after undergoing surgery for his injuries.

Zoom in: Tampa Police released a statement that officers spoke with Ramirez earlier on Sunday after responding to a report of a man pointing a gun at himself at the hotel hosting the police conference.

• Ramirez told officers he'd been in an argument, but did not take out a gun and had no intention of harming himself or others, according to the statement.
• Ramirez was released at the scene, but hotel staff then asked him to leave, the Miami Herald reported.

What they're saying: "All that matters right now is Chief Ramirez's wellbeing, and I join his family, his loved ones, and all his Miami-Dade Police Department and Miami-Dade County family in praying for his swift recovery," county Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.

• "The Sheriff's Office stands united with a profound sense of compassion and concern for our colleague who has experienced such a traumatic event," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "Mental health knows no boundaries and I hope that Director Ramirez and anyone in crisis receives the help they deserve."

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