Jose Lazaro Somohano, 37, was killed in the line of duty on September 13, 2007, in Naranja, Florida. He and a partner were conducting burglary surveillance when they encountered a vehicle being driven erratically and attempted a stop. The driver fled on foot into a house at 28165 SW 143rd Court. After calling for backup, two more officers joined them and the suspect fired through a window with an AK-47 rifle, fatally wounding Officer Somohano and wounding the three other officers.

The suspect, identified as Shawn Sherwin Labeet, escaped the initial scene but was later found at an apartment complex by Broward County Sheriff’s Office personnel. When Miami-Dade SWAT moved in, Labeet opened fire and was shot and killed in the ensuing exchange. Investigators found Labeet had used a false identity and had a history of violent crime. Somohano, a four-year Miami-Dade Police Department officer who previously served with Miami-Dade Public Schools Police Department, left a wife and two children.

Does anyone have memories of Officer Somohano or information about the surveillance operation that led to the confrontation?