Miami FL June 17 2009
Giovanni Gonzalez once set his sights on playing professional baseball, but when fate put an end to that dream, the kid from Coral Gables embarked on another: serving his community as a police officer.
After graduating from the police academy, the Miami-Dade police officer was quickly promoted to the Kendall district’s nighttime commercial burglary squad, considered quite a feat for a rookie.
On Tuesday, before dawn and while on duty, fate intervened again — this time in the most horrible way imaginable for the 23-year-old.
Gonzalez died after his marked Ford Crown Victoria collided with a dump truck on Florida’s Turnpike at Southwest 152nd Street in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Rescuers worked feverishly to free Gonzalez, who was trapped in the twisted wreckage. But by the time they pulled him out, it was too late. According to authorities, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A short distance from his cruiser, the dump truck was pulled off onto the shoulder. It’s unclear what caused the crash. Neither the truck driver’s identity, nor his condition, was released.
Little information was made public about what led up to the violent crash. Miami-Dade police continue to investigate.
Friends and colleagues were devastated after learning the news of Gonzalez, a graduate of Coral Gables Senior High.
”He was too young — too young to have lost his life,” said Coral Gables Police Officer Alvaro Escalona, who was among those who remembered the fallen officer Tuesday afternoon at a ceremony at Miami International Airport.
An Honor Flag — which travels on flights across the country to funerals for fallen servicemen and servicewomen — was delivered to MIA from Philadelphia for the ceremony.
When American Airlines flight 1689 touched down on MIA’s rain-soaked tarmac, a seven-member honor guard stood at attention at Concourse D.
Leading the group was Officer Raniel David Castillo, who works at the same Kendall district station as Gonzalez. Like several others, he was notified of his fellow officer’s death Tuesday morning when he checked his cellphone on his way out the door.
The text message read: “We lost an officer last night in a 317 [police code for a car crash]. Giovanni Gonzalez.”
”It hit me hard. We’ve lost one,” he said with a stern face. Wearing white gloves, he clung to a black and silver Ruger Mini-14 rifle by his side.
Shortly afterward, a police motorcade made its way to Miami-Dade police headquarters in Doral, where the flag was raised and lowered to half-staff.
On Tuesday, police surrounded Gonzalez’s family home in the 3600 block of Southwest 27th Street in Miami. Family and friends streamed in, braving the pouring rain, to pay their condolences to the officer’s family.
Neighbors said Gonzalez had recently purchased a house with his fiancée and had moved into it only last weekend.
Neighbor Ivan Suarez, 61, said Gonzalez grew up on the street, where his family has lived for over two decades. He remembers Gonzalez, whom he called ”Muchachito,” or ”Little guy,” riding his bicycle around the neighborhood.
”He’s the same age as my grandson,” Suarez said sadly.
Neighbors said Gonzalez played baseball at Coral Gables Senior High and once hoped to become a pro player. But a fall from a tree dashed that dream. He attended Western Nebraska Community College, where he also played ball, before returning home and coaching high school baseball before becoming a police officer.
Jonathan Abreu, 19, had Gonzalez as a baseball coach and visited the family early Tuesday afternoon.
”He was one of the best coaches I ever had. The way he pushed me brought out the best in me,” Abreu said.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join PRIVATE OFFICER
INTERNATIONAL
www.privateofficer.com
