Detective CEsar Echaverry
Officer: Miami-Dade Police Department, Detective Cesar "Echy" Echaverry
Date: 8/17/2022 Location: Miami-Dade, FL FACTORS (1,2,8,14,15,19)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Jeremy Willie Horton
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Horton “had a lengthy criminal background dating back to 2012, with charges of fraud, cruelty to children, assault, battery and resisting arrest.” In 2019 Horton was charged with kidnapping, battery and cruelty to a child but after court delays due to Covid-19, the victim stopped cooperating and the charges were dropped on July 13, 2022. / Yes, Horton was driving the vehicle involved in an armed robbery he committed earlier in the day.
Mental Illness: None stated.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown. / None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/32
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At just after 3:30 p.m. on August 15, 2022, Jeremy Horton and another man committed an armed robbery at a convenience store in Dania Beach. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office detectives investigating the robbery identified the vehicle involved, a white Hyundai and put out a ‘Be on the Lookout’ (BOLO) for it. Detective Echaverry and members of the Miami-Dade Police Robbery Intervention Detail (RID) spotted that vehicle being driven by Horton later Monday evening and attempted to pull him over.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Horton refused to pull over and instead rammed several of the unmarked police cars. After fleeing from the officers during a short chase, Horton crashed into a civilian car. Ultimately Horton bailed out of the vehicle after hitting a pole and fled from the officers on foot. While running from the officers, Horton shot at them and struck Det. Echaverry in the head.
Reactions by the police: During the pursuit the officers returned fire at Horton and killed him. Det. Echaverry was rushed to a hospital where he tragically died from his wounds two days later.
How murdered? Det. Echaverry was fatally shot while pursuing a robbery suspect.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? NA, Det. Echaverry and his fellow officers were bravely doing their job trying to take a violent felon off the streets.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? Det. Echaverry and his fellow officers engaged in a running gun battle with the suspect.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Horton was justifiably killed by the officers in the shootout.
