The on-duty agent suffered minor injuries, while Miami-Dade homicide detectives are leading the investigation into the fatal encounter.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agent fatally shot a 28-year-old man during a physical altercation in southwest Miami-Dade County on Thursday morning, authorities said, prompting a homicide investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The man killed was identified Friday as Daniel Thomas Shand. Authorities said the confrontation happened shortly after 9 a.m. Sept. 17 near Southwest 157th Avenue and Southwest 140th Street. The FDLE agent was on duty and inside his vehicle when Shand approached and began striking a window, according to initial accounts released by FDLE and the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said the agent got out of the vehicle and a physical struggle followed. Authorities said Shand threw the agent to the ground and got on top of him. During the confrontation, the agent fired his weapon and struck Shand. Officials have not publicly identified the agent or explained what assignment brought him to the neighborhood before the encounter.
A City of Miami police officer who was nearby and responding Miami-Dade deputies attempted lifesaving measures, authorities said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel later pronounced Shand dead at the scene. FDLE said its agent suffered minor injuries during the altercation and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Cellphone video obtained by local news organizations appears to show portions of the physical struggle. The footage shows two men fighting in the roadway as traffic moves nearby. One man appears to lift the other and force him to the ground before continuing the struggle. A gunshot can then be heard. The available video does not establish what happened before the recording began, and investigators have not released a complete account of the encounter.
The shooting drew a large response from law enforcement and emergency crews. Police tape restricted access to parts of the neighborhood while investigators examined the scene. Aerial footage showed deputies working in the roadway and collecting evidence. Officials have not released a complete inventory of evidence or said whether additional recordings captured the entire confrontation.
Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School, located near the shooting scene, was temporarily placed on lockdown because of the police activity. School officials said the incident was not related to the campus. The lockdown was later lifted, and authorities did not report any threat inside the school.
The involvement of an FDLE agent changed the usual investigative arrangement for the shooting. FDLE often investigates law enforcement shootings in Florida, but the agency asked the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office to investigate this case. The sheriff’s office Homicide Bureau is handling the criminal investigation, while FDLE said it will conduct a separate administrative review after the criminal investigation is completed.
FDLE said the agent has been placed on administrative leave, describing the move as standard procedure following an agent-involved shooting. Authorities have not announced any criminal findings, and no determination has been released about whether the agent’s use of deadly force was legally justified. Investigators also have not publicly described what led Shand to approach the agent’s vehicle.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigation remained active Friday. Officials had not announced when additional evidence, investigative findings or the identity of the agent might be released.
Author note: Last updated September 18, 2026.