22-year-old Cariann Denise Hithon, of Bowie, Maryland
MIAMI BEACH, Fla.– A Prince George’s County young woman was fatally shot by police in Florida after she struck and injured an officer, police said.
According to the Miami Beach Police Department, 22-year-old Cariann Denise Hithon, of Bowie, Maryland, was driving a black BMW vehicle Sunday evening when it crashed into another vehicle on 12th Street and Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Investigators said Hithon fled the scene afterwards and hit another vehicle on Lincoln Drive. She then fled from this accident and struck a uniformed police officer, causing the officer to be thrown in the air.
Police said another officer at the scene fired his service weapon hitting Hithon. She continued to travel on 12th Street after the shooting and came to a complete stop after hitting another parked vehicle.
The Prince George’s County woman was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries. The injured officer was also transported to the hospital and was in stable condition.
A passenger in Hithon’s car was detained by police for questioning, according to police.
Hithon was a student at Temple University. According to the university’s Student Government Facebook page, she was pursuing a political science degree. Miami-Dade County police are continuing to investigate the shooting. They have not yet released the name of the officer who shot Hithon, but they confirmed she was killed. MDPD said Hithon’s birthday was last Thursday, October 5, and her father confirmed to NBC 6 that she was in South Beach to celebrate turning 22.
According to Hithon’s Linkedin profile, she was also studying African and Greek Philosophy. Her profile shows that she participated in a summer legal internship in Prince George’s County and that she attended Hampton University from 2013 to earlier this year.
Ms. Hithon is said to have been a very charming and outgoing young woman, May her soul rest in eternal peace.
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