MIAMI (WSVN) - Two South Florida men who have been cleared of charges connected to a fatal Liberty City shooting have been released.
Twenty-two-year-old Yaairnes Rashad Bryant and 19-year-old Anthony Clinch spent three nights in jail, and 20 hours there were spent after Miami Police decided to drop the charges. Both men were released from jail on Tuesday afternoon.
Once Bryant was released from jail, he held on tight to his daughter and mother.
He also had a message for those who doubted him. “I told y’all I was innocent from the jump. That what it was,” Bryant said after his release.
Both men appeared before a judge on Sunday after they were accused in the April 8 Liberty City shooting that left 17-year-old Kimson Green and 18-year-old Rickey Dixon dead. Two others were also injured.
On Monday, 7News spoke with Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina after the charges were dropped.
“I don’t want a scenario where we have someone in jail who should not be in jail,” Colina said. “We’re not going to have someone who isn’t responsible for a crime to sit in jail if they weren’t involved in any way.”
The charges were dropped after video evidence supported the alibi of one of the men. They then remained in jail for another 20 hours as their court-appointed attorneys went through the motions of asking a judge to officially rescind the warrant.
A day after Miami Police dropped the charges, Miami’s mayor Francis Suarez commented on the situation.
“I’m glad that the police department did the right thing when they determined that the alibi was credible and released the two individuals,” Suarez said, “and that our police chief took action quickly, and got in front of the issue by admitting the mistake was made.”
He also said this could have been avoided if more research was done.
“In retrospect, we could have waited until the alibi was cleared or not to decide to have the press conference, but I think it’s a learning experience for all involved,” Suarez said. “Hopefully it’s not something that will be repeated.”
Since police released Bryant and Clinch, that means they have no one in custody for the April 8 shooting.
When asked if Suarez felt there was a need for an apology to the two men, he said, “Absolutely. I mean, obviously whenever there’s a mistake that’s made, it’s incumbent on us to act with integrity and admit it.”
Investigators are now back to try and solve a double murder.
If you have any information that could help police, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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