Miami Beach Officer Injured During Arrest of Armed Man
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A Miami Beach Police officer sustained injuries after being headbutted during the arrest of a man found to be armed and disrupting traffic on Saturday, according to police. Body camera footage released by the department depicts the encounter.
The incident occured on West 41st Street near Royal Palm Avenue. Police identified the suspect as Saliya Siby, 46, who allegedly threatened to explode while in possession of a knife and containers believed to contain accelerants.
“Our officer did exactly what he is trained to do,” stated officer Christopher Bess.
According to police, Siby shouted, “They shoot! They shoot!” at officers prior to his arrest, but officers did not discharge their weapons. The injured officer received sutures at Mount Sinai hospital.
Siby is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, making a threat to detonate a bomb, and resisting arrest with violence. He was also charged with resisting arrest without violence and carrying a concealed weapon.
Miami-Dade County court records show Siby was already on probation for impersonating a law enforcement officer. On Sunday, a judge ordered Siby to be held without bail pending trial. He remains detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Center as of Monday night.
A hearing is scheduled for September 18, with an arraignment set for October 14 before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Carmen R. Cabarga.
