Police in Florida are one step closer to arresting a carnival employee who was caught on video attacking a Black woman.
Opa-locka police say the woman was exiting a ferris wheel ride at the Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market with her two young children when a heated verbal altercation with one of the ride’s operators escalated. Cellphone video of the incident from Saturday, April 17, shows the woman angrily speaking and motioning her hand in the face of the operator.
The operator is then heard yelling “Get the f–k off my [inaudible]” as he lunges toward the woman, shoves her and causes the little girl with her to fall to the ground. Members of the crowd standing nearby immediately come to the woman’s defense, throwing punches and kicks at the man.
A second carnival employee is seen in the swarm of enraged people reaching toward the man but was unable to come to his aid.
The operator then restarted the ride — buckets could be seen going by moving dangerously fast — as tempers remained flared from the attack. Employees eventually turned off the ride, and off-duty officers working the carnival ultimately responded to the scene but were unable to immediately locate the woman. She was found hours later and provided police with a written statement about what occurred at the ride.
Police issued the following statement:
“Our detectives have interviewed and secured a written statement from the victim and probable cause exists to arrest the carnival employee depicted in the video. The Opa-Locka Police Department does not tolerate any criminal acts of violence and will prosecute those individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
A second video of the moments leading up to the brawl shows the same ride operator lunging at a colleague, leaving people on social media even more outraged by the employee’s actions.
“Why people have jobs that deal with customer service or just assist people and KIDS, nonetheless, yet act like traaaaaaash…why, just why?!”
“I can not believe what I just saw. That child was still holding on to the ride & mother was still standing up when he pressed the button. He could’ve killed them both.”
“He deserves a LOT more. He used that ride as a weapon. Put his hands on two people.”
By Monday evening local station NBC 6 was reporting that Hildebrand Amusement Rides says the employee has been suspended and is talking to police.
