MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A man was taken into police custody under Florida’s Baker Act law after people reported him pointing a weapon at objects in Miami Beach.
The incident was captured on body camera video at the corner of Sheridan Avenue and 30th Street, just after 6 p.m. on Sept. 8.
The video shows a 20-year-old man lying on the ground and being apprehended by a Miami Beach Police officer. Next to him was what appeared to be a long gun that looks like an assault rifle.
“It’s a scary situation,” Miami Beach Police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez said. “We get a call of a man roaming the streets with an AR-15 in hand, and he’s out there pointing it at objects. That man was able to walk about seven blocks to the south with that rifle, sparking several 911 calls.”
Police and witnesses say this man walked with what looked like an assault rifle for at least 7 blocks in mid Miami Beach before being safely apprehended 9/8. This is a portion of the @MiamiBeachPD body cam footage. @wsvn #Exclusive pic.twitter.com/6jrysgSKi6
— Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) September 18, 2020
Moments later, police arrived with guns in hand pointed in the man’s direction.
“You know, we’re screaming at the man, ‘Put the gun down! Put the gun down!'” Rodriguez said.
The man listened, surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody.
The long weapon seen at the scene was later determined to be a pellet gun, police said.
Neighbors said they watched from home and took video on their cellphones.
“It was a pretty bad scene,” a neighbor said.
At least one officer involved in the Sept. 8 deescalation has experience in such a situation.
On Nov. 11, 2019, near a synagogue and elementary school, Miami Beach Sgt. Jeff Matola and others convinced a man holding a firearm, who had fired a gunshot, to give up his weapon. No one was injured in the incident, and the man was arrested.
Matola and another officer were later honored for their police work during a Miami Beach City Commission meeting.
The man involved in the Sept. 8 confrontation was taken for a mental evaluation and did not go to jail.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.