DORAL: A man shouting about Donald Trump entered the president’s south Florida golf course early on Friday, draped a flag over a lobby counter and exchanged fire with police before being arrested, police said. One officer received an unspecified injury, officials said.

Police were notified of an “active shooter” in the Trump-owned club about 1:30 am, Doral Police Chief Hernan Organvidez told news reporters. He said officers from Doral and Miami-Dade confronted him immediately and exchanged gunfire with the man who was “neutralised” and taken into custody.

Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said the man was shouting about Trump, and “actively shooting.” “He was yelling and spewing some information about President Trump and that’s what we know so far. And he had an American flag that he did drape over the counter,” Perez said.

Trump was not at the club at the time. Perez said a Doral officer received an unspecified injury.

“You know, these officers did not hesitate one second to engage this individual that was actively shooting in the lobby of the hotel,” he said. “They risked their lives knowing that that they had to get in there to save lives in that hotel.”

Eric Trump, the president’s son and executive vice president of the Trump organisation, tweeted early on Friday morning, “A huge thank you to the incredible men and women” of the departments, adding that “every day they keep our community safe.” Perez said the Secret Service was on the scene, and the FBI was on the way, but that local police were in charge for the time being.

As day was breaking, the large golf facility in the growing suburb was surrounded by a heavy police presence and news helicopters hovered over the scene. The entrances were blocked, and yellow caution tape was stretched across the main gate. A Miami-Dade crime scene truck was parked inside the gate.

The golf resort previously known as the Doral Resort & Spa was purchased by the Trump Organisation in 2012. Its signature course is the Blue Monster at Doral.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2018