MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A Miami Gardens officer who started his career in Jacksonville was ambushed and shot Friday morning while sitting in his patrol car writing a crash report,
Miami Gardens Police Chief Antonio Brooklen said Officer David Starling was ambushed by David Majia. Starling was struck once, but he got on his police radio, called for backup and began to pursue the SUV, Brooklen said. Starling was taken to Aventura Hospital for surgery and he is expected to make a complete recovery.
In a recent interview, Starling said the first thing he thought about as he was ducking bullets was his wife.
"Right now, I'm hurting a great deal. I was shot twice. It's getting better,” Starling said. "The first thing that I did once I realized that I was still alive was call my wife and let her know. Because, we always had an agreement that if I was..(unintelligble)...and something happened to me, call my wife. And the next thing I did was say a word of thanks."
Police said Majia fired at eight times and and Starling was hit in the backside. Starling’s father told News4Jax last week that doctors told the family the bullet would have hit Starling’s spine had it gone half an inch in another direction.
"My family is probably the most important thing in my life," Starling said.
Asked how the shooting changed his life, he replied: "You just don't take things for granted anymore."
Starling has been in law enforcement for over 30 years, the first 20 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
His family said hey needs the community’s help with his recovery. Two years ago, he lost almost all of his savings when a contractor working on a home that Starling’s family would live in took all of the money and went bankrupt.
"When you feel that you're just overwhelmed. Remember that you may not be able to handle it but God is available to handle it. You don't have to. That's what God's for,” Starling said..