Miami Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 30, 1995
Age: 47
Tour of Duty: 13 years
Badge Number: 6237
Cause of Death: Fall
Date of Incident: May 30, 1995
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Police Officer Carlos Santiago was killed after falling 50 feet from an opening on the Flagler Street Bridge.
He was walking up the bridge to ask the bridge tender if he owned a nearby car that had just been broken into. He and his partner had just arrested the man breaking into it and a witness stated that the car may have belonged to the bridge tender. The drawbridge was in the up position and dimly lit when he fell through a gap at the base of the opening, falling onto a grassy area along North River Drive.
Officer Santiago had served with the Miami Police Department for 13 years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.