Family members claim that a Miami police officer unjustly shot a 21-year-old man outside the site of a music festival on the weekend of Memorial Day, sparking chaos among festivalgoers.
The shooting took place on Sunday, May 25, near Best of the Best Concert, a Caribbean music festival that was held at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami.
A viral cellphone video shows a police officer lying on top of the hood of a moving BMW as he fires his weapon three times into the vehicle. “What’s going on?” yells a concerned passerby.
The driver stops, runs out of the car, and puts his hands up. After that, he falls to the ground, and another officer orders him to roll over and handcuffs him. Viewers can see a bloody spot in the middle of the driver’s back.
Family members identified the driver as 21-year-old Menelek Clarke.
According to police, the officer who shot Clarke was directing traffic near the festival when Clarke’s car hit him.
“One of our officers was on a traffic post when — we’re still investigating what exactly what happened — but we know that a vehicle made physical contact with the officer. As a result of that incident, shots were fired,” Assistant Police Chief Armando Aguilar told WPLG.
Clarke’s sister, who was in the car with Clarke when he was shot, said that she and her brother were looking for a parking spot when they encountered the officer.
“We were all stopped. We were in the middle and he told everyone else to go with his hands, signaling that we can go,” Sheralynn Clarke told local news outlets. “It wasn’t intentional to hit him, no. The man moved with the car as he was going around him.”
Sheralynn said the officer directed Clarke’s vehicle, but moved with him, and eventually came into contact with the vehicle, and then “stood in front of her brother’s car and shot him.” She said her brother had no weapons in the car.
“He was trying to move and the police officer went in front of his car again and he’s moving with his car as he’s moving, trying to get out of his way, so obviously they came into contact because he’s hovering over my brother’s car, touching his car. Then he pulls out his gun to shoot him,” she said.
Another cellphone video shows festival attendees running from the site of the shooting moments after the shots were fired. Footage also shows Clarke on a gurney being rolled into an ambulance.
A woman claiming to be Clarke’s cousin fired off in the comments against those attempting to “spread false narratives.”
“This is my cousin! He was shot from inside of his car! He doesn’t own a weapon and he’s not in a gang! The officer discharged his weapon UNWARRANTED. My cousin was just trying to get into the parking lot. Please don’t spread false narratives, especially when you were not there. Keep him in your prayers or don’t. But keep that negativity to YOURSELF!!! He didn’t do anything wrong or intend to harm ANYONE. have some HUMANITY.”
Clarke was hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds. His family said he’s in stable condition. The officer was also taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
“He’s stable. He just got a tube taken out, so he’s talking,” Clarke’s sister said. “He said that he felt like he was going to die, and I feel that he was wrongfully shot multiple times in his vehicle with no weapon.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the shooting. Clarke has not been charged with any offenses. Miami police say “no further details will be provided” at this time.
