The Miami Beach mayor’s office has decreed a curfew starting this Sunday after two fatal shootings in the middle of spring break students that, in turn, have sparked street riots. The police have had difficulties in controlling them.
The city said in a statement that the curfew would be from 11:59 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. this Monday, but it is likely that an additional curfew will be established from Thursday until next Monday, January 27. March. The measure primarily affects South Beach, the most popular recreational spot for student vacations.
The two shootings on Friday night and early Sunday left two dead and “excessively large and uncontrollable crowds” and led to the decision.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said in a video message released Sunday that the crowds and the presence of numerous firearms “has created a danger that cannot go unnoticed,” despite the massive police presence and lots of city sponsored activities to keep people busy.
“We don’t ask for spring break in our city. We don’t want spring break in our town. It’s too loud, it’s too messy, and it’s too hard to police,” Gelber said.
He added that city officials will meet Monday to discuss a possible curfew for next weekend, noting that “the administrator’s emergency powers are limited to only 72 hours.”
The latest shooting, which police say was caught on surveillance video, occurred around 3:30 a.m. Sunday on Ocean Drive in South Beach.
According to the police explained to the Local 10 chain, the suspect, “without any provocation”, shot the victim several times. She is she died after being rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital. A second person was injured, but she was treated at the scene and released, police confirmed.
The suspect, identified as Dontavious Polk, fled on foot and dropped a weapon while being pursued by a police officer, according to the arrest report. Police recovered the gun, which they found to be stolen, and arrested the suspect after officers approached him a few blocks away.
After the arrest, the suspect was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center for what police described as a “pre-existing gunshot wound.” He was later released and taken to the Turner Gilford Knight Correctional Center near the Miami airport.
Polk now faces a first-degree murder charge, according to police records, though no charges had been officially filed as of Sunday night.
Miami Beach police have confirmed that it was an unpremeditated and random incident. The identities of all parties cannot be released while the investigation is ongoing, they said.
In the Friday night shooting, one male victim was killed and another critically injured, sending people scared from restaurants and clubs into the streets as gunshots rang out. Police detained an individual at the scene and found four firearms, but no further details have been released.
Under the curfew, people must leave business by midnight, though hotels are allowed to operate later only in service to their guests. The city statement said restaurants can remain open for deliveries only and the curfew will not apply to residents, commuters, emergency services and hotel guests. Some streets will be closed and hotel guests who want to enter may have to show proof of their reservations.
Last year, also during spring break, the city imposed a midnight curfew after two shootings, also on Ocean Drive. The year before, there were about 1,000 arrests and dozens of weapons were confiscated.
