Miami police shoot, kill naked man who was allegedly chewing face of another man

MIAMI - Miami police say that an officer fatally shot a naked man who was chewing on the face of another man on a downtown expressway off-ramp.

The Miami Herald reports that gunshots were heard at about 2 p.m. Saturday on the MacArthur Causeway off-ramp, which is near the newspaper's offices.

Witnesses said that a woman saw two men fighting and flagged down a police officer, who observed a naked man mauling the other man.

The newspaper quoted witnesses as saying that the officer ordered the naked man to back away, and when he ignored repeated demands, shot him multiple times, killing him.

Police said the other man was transported to the hospital for treatment of critical injuries.

A police news release said the identities of the two men were not known.

A photograph posted on The Herald's website shows an officer standing watch on the ramp next to two police cruisers, with a body lying on a pedestrian walkway. Police requested the newspaper's video surveillance tapes.

Javier Ortiz, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police in Miami, said that based on information he's received, the officer who fired the shots "is a hero and saved a life."