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1980 Miami riots
The 1980 Miami riots (also called the Arthur McDuffie riots) were race riots that occurred in Miami, Florida, United States, starting in earnest on May 18, 1980, following an all-White male jury acquitting five white Dade County Public Safety Department officers in the death of Arthur McDuffie (December 3, 1946 – December 21, 1979), a Black insurance salesman and United States Marine Corps lance corporal. McDuffie was beaten to death by four police officers after a traffic stop. After the officers were tried and acquitted on charges including manslaughter and evidence tampering, a riot broke out in the Black neighborhoods of Overtown and Liberty City on the night of May 17. Riots continued until May 20, resulting in at least 18 deaths and an estimated $100 million in property damage.
In 1981 Dade County settled a civil lawsuit filed by McDuffie's family for $1.1 million. The 1980 Miami riots were the deadliest urban riots in a single city since the 1967 Detroit riot and remained such until the 1992 Los Angeles riots twelve years later.
In the early morning hours of December 17, 1979, a group of six White police officers stopped thirty-three-year-old McDuffie, who was riding a black-and-orange 1973 Kawasaki Z1 motorcycle. McDuffie had accumulated traffic citations and was riding with a suspended license. According to the initial police report, he had led police on an eight-minute high-speed chase through residential streets at speeds of over 80 miles per hour (130 km/h).
In that initial report, four of the officers involved in the chase claimed McDuffie had run a red light or stop sign and subsequently led police on an eight-minute chase. Sgt. Herbert Evans (who was not at the scene) added that McDuffie lost control of his motorcycle while making a left turn and, according to Officer Charles Veverka, McDuffie subsequently struck his head on the ground, after which he attempted to flee on foot. The officers caught him and a scuffle ensued in which McDuffie allegedly kicked Sgt. Ira Diggs, who wrote "the subject was observed to be fighting violently." Police drove a squad car over the motorbike to make the incident look like an accident.
McDuffie was transported to a nearby hospital where he died four days later of his injuries. McDuffie's ex-wife, who was planning to re-marry him on February 7, 1980, was on duty as a nurse's aide when he was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The coroner's report concluded that he had suffered multiple skull fractures, one of which was 10 inches (250 mm) long.
The medical examiner, Dr. Ronald Wright, said McDuffie's injuries were not consistent with a motorcycle crash, and that if McDuffie had fallen off the motorcycle, as the police claimed, it did not make sense that its gauges would be broken. Wright said that it seemed that he had been beaten to death.
"In the process of arresting and handcuffing him, McDuffie's helmet was removed and he was thrown to the ground. Officers Ira Diggs, Michael Watts, William Hanlon and Alex Marrero proceeded to strike McDuffie in and around the head and chest with flashlights and nightsticks no less that five times.
"During this time, the defendants used their flashlights and nightsticks to repeatedly strike the motorcycle upon which McDuffie had been riding and which, at the time he was initially apprehended, was undamaged.
"At the instructions of Sergeant Herb Evans, the defendants subsequently reported that the injuries to McDuffie and damage to his motorcycle were the result of a motorcycle accident. There was no accident."
Officer Veverka made a sworn statement on December 26 that he had lied in the initial report. According to Veverka's statement, after McDuffie stopped, Veverka pulled him off his motorcycle, and McDuffie responded by taking a swing at Veverka. More officers arrived shortly afterward and, according to Veverka, "six to eight" of them began beating McDuffie with nightsticks and heavy Kel-Lite flashlights. Veverka said he tried to pull McDuffie out of the fracas, but was unable to. Captain Marshall Frank investigated the cover-up, and made a sworn affidavit which led to criminal charges against four officers.
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1980 Miami riots
The 1980 Miami riots (also called the Arthur McDuffie riots) were race riots that occurred in Miami, Florida, United States, starting in earnest on May 18, 1980, following an all-White male jury acquitting five white Dade County Public Safety Department officers in the death of Arthur McDuffie (December 3, 1946 – December 21, 1979), a Black insurance salesman and United States Marine Corps lance corporal. McDuffie was beaten to death by four police officers after a traffic stop. After the officers were tried and acquitted on charges including manslaughter and evidence tampering, a riot broke out in the Black neighborhoods of Overtown and Liberty City on the night of May 17. Riots continued until May 20, resulting in at least 18 deaths and an estimated $100 million in property damage.
In 1981 Dade County settled a civil lawsuit filed by McDuffie's family for $1.1 million. The 1980 Miami riots were the deadliest urban riots in a single city since the 1967 Detroit riot and remained such until the 1992 Los Angeles riots twelve years later.
In the early morning hours of December 17, 1979, a group of six White police officers stopped thirty-three-year-old McDuffie, who was riding a black-and-orange 1973 Kawasaki Z1 motorcycle. McDuffie had accumulated traffic citations and was riding with a suspended license. According to the initial police report, he had led police on an eight-minute high-speed chase through residential streets at speeds of over 80 miles per hour (130 km/h).
In that initial report, four of the officers involved in the chase claimed McDuffie had run a red light or stop sign and subsequently led police on an eight-minute chase. Sgt. Herbert Evans (who was not at the scene) added that McDuffie lost control of his motorcycle while making a left turn and, according to Officer Charles Veverka, McDuffie subsequently struck his head on the ground, after which he attempted to flee on foot. The officers caught him and a scuffle ensued in which McDuffie allegedly kicked Sgt. Ira Diggs, who wrote "the subject was observed to be fighting violently." Police drove a squad car over the motorbike to make the incident look like an accident.
McDuffie was transported to a nearby hospital where he died four days later of his injuries. McDuffie's ex-wife, who was planning to re-marry him on February 7, 1980, was on duty as a nurse's aide when he was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The coroner's report concluded that he had suffered multiple skull fractures, one of which was 10 inches (250 mm) long.
The medical examiner, Dr. Ronald Wright, said McDuffie's injuries were not consistent with a motorcycle crash, and that if McDuffie had fallen off the motorcycle, as the police claimed, it did not make sense that its gauges would be broken. Wright said that it seemed that he had been beaten to death.
"In the process of arresting and handcuffing him, McDuffie's helmet was removed and he was thrown to the ground. Officers Ira Diggs, Michael Watts, William Hanlon and Alex Marrero proceeded to strike McDuffie in and around the head and chest with flashlights and nightsticks no less that five times.
"During this time, the defendants used their flashlights and nightsticks to repeatedly strike the motorcycle upon which McDuffie had been riding and which, at the time he was initially apprehended, was undamaged.
"At the instructions of Sergeant Herb Evans, the defendants subsequently reported that the injuries to McDuffie and damage to his motorcycle were the result of a motorcycle accident. There was no accident."
Officer Veverka made a sworn statement on December 26 that he had lied in the initial report. According to Veverka's statement, after McDuffie stopped, Veverka pulled him off his motorcycle, and McDuffie responded by taking a swing at Veverka. More officers arrived shortly afterward and, according to Veverka, "six to eight" of them began beating McDuffie with nightsticks and heavy Kel-Lite flashlights. Veverka said he tried to pull McDuffie out of the fracas, but was unable to. Captain Marshall Frank investigated the cover-up, and made a sworn affidavit which led to criminal charges against four officers.