Officers shot Miami man who torched and choked wife and tried to kill cops, police say
ACCORDING TO POLICE, JERRY SANDERS DOUSED A WOMAN IN GASOLINE BEFORE SETTING THE FRONT DOOR ABLAZE THEN WENT OUTSIDE AND BURNED HIS WIFE WITH A TORCH. SANDERS THEN HOPPED IN HIS 2005 DODGE CARAVAN, PINNED HIS WIFE AGAINST A TREE WITH IT AND REVERSED TWICE AND HIT HER AGAIN, POLICE SAID.
A Miami man who was shot Tuesday night by police officers set his home on fire, choked his wife, struck her with his minivan and then aimed the vehicle at officers, authorities said.
Jerry Sanders, 66, has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer, premeditated attempted murder, arson, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery.
Sanders’ bond was set at $32,500 except for the attempted murder charge for which no bond was set, according to Miami-Dade County jail records. He remained behind bars Thursday.
The chaotic chain of events — detailed in a Wednesday arrest report as a domestic dispute — began at 4:50 p.m. with Sanders having a fight with his wife inside the home in the 1800 block of Northwest 10th Avenue.
THE SCENE
Detectives learned the fight started with Sanders choking his wife, with whom he has a child. He then pointed a propane torch at another woman in the home and lit it on fire. The flames were so close, police said the woman felt the heat.
Sanders then doused her in gasoline before setting the front door ablaze while she was still inside. Then he went outside and burned his wife with the torch, according to the report.
Sanders noticed a man who saw what was happening and pointed the torch at him while it was lit. Sanders then hopped in his 2005 Dodge Caravan and pinned his wife against a palm tree with it, police said.
He reversed twice and hit her again.
At this moment, just before 5 p.m., Miami officers arrived after getting a call about a “domestic violence dispute.” They arrived to find Sanders running over his wife, according to the report.
The officers ran to and confronted Sanders, who was still driving the minivan off the road to “intentionally strike” his wife, the report read.
Sanders proceeded to drive directly toward one of the officers who then shot him and dodged the vehicle. However, Sanders continued and hit the other woman, injuring her leg.
He drove away but got into an accident at Northwest First Place and 64th Street.
ARRESTED IN HOSPITAL
He and the woman were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center. He had a gunshot wound, and she had right leg fractures and seconddegree burns on her arm.
Officers arrested Sanders in the hospital early Wednesday morning. He refused to speak to officers without an attorney, they said.
Information about Sanders’ next court date was not available Thursday.
According to MiamiDade County court records, Sanders was convicted in 1987 of using a firearm during the commission of a felony.