FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -
A Lauderhill police officer accused of firing a gun at his ex-girlfriend, who is also a police officer, faces an attempted first-degree murder charge.
Lauderhill police Officer Kristopher Bieger stood silently in court Monday as the charges against him were read. He is charged with attempted first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and discharging the firearm from a vehicle.
Late Saturday night, police said Bieger pulled up to a Denny's restaurant in a strip mall where his ex-girlfriend, Lauderhill police Officer Brittany Skinner, was working an off-duty security detail and fired 10 rounds at her while she sat in her patrol car.
"One of the bullets, at least one, went through the seat of the car, went through her police uniform and into her bulletproof vest," said Broward County Judge John Hurley. Skinner was hit, but she was not hurt.
According the arrest affidavit, Beiger called several family members and friends and threatened to kill himself. The reason he didn't, records show, is because he was out of ammunition. According to the report, he fired all 10 rounds from his .40 caliber mini Glock handgun into Skinner's patrol car.
Instead, police say, Beiger took off and after a three hour manhunt, he called police and told them he was at a Donato's pizzeria in Davie. He caught the attention of workers as he ordered two slices and then paced nervously in the restaurant as he talked on his cell phone.
"And then he was outside, walking back and forth, and everybody was wondering, this guy is still here, what's he doing outside? And one of the waitresses was like he was very nervous on the phone," said pizza shop owner Donato DiLeo.
Beiger was reportedly negotiating his surrender. A short time later, surveillance cameras inside the store captured SWAT team members snaking through the restaurant as they moved in to take him down.
"It seems like it was a movie," DiLeo said.
In court Monday morning, the judge ordered no bond and ordered Bieger to have no contact with Skinner.
"He was in a dating relationship with Officer Skinner for the last two or three months. They have had many verbal arguments, jealousy, mistrust, constantly calling her, harassing her. Finally, she broke up and said, 'Do not call me anymore. Stay away,'" Hurley said.
Bieger's father, who is a retired police officer, was in court Monday morning but had no comment, and Bieger's attorney, Al Milian, reiterated they had nothing to say except they are all very distraught.
"I don't think the family—this is very painful for everyone involved, and the family is not in a condition that they want to talk about the case," Milian said.
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