In May of 1980 Miami experienced violent and destructive rate riots were race riots. These followed the acquittal of four Miami-Dade Police officers in the death of Arthur McDuffie, an African-American who died from injuries sustained at the hands of four Caucasian police officers attempting to arrest him after a high-speed chase. These officers were tried and acquitted for manslaughter and evidence tampering, among some other charges. Following their acquittal, a race riot broke out in the predominately black Miami neighborhoods of Overtown and Liberty City.
It all began in the early morning hours of December 17, 1979, when the aforementioned police officers pursued McDuffie, who was riding his Kawasaki motorcycle. McDuffie had not only accumulated traffic citations, he was driving with a suspended license. Police chased him through residential neighborhoods for 8 minutes at speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour.
Ira Diggs, William Hanlon, Michael Watts and Alex Marrero, the four officers involved in the case, later filed a report claiming McDuffie had run a red light and then led them on an eight-minute chase. They also stated that after McDuffie had lost control of his vehicle while making a left turn, he had attempted to run away but was then subdued by the officers. Accused of kicking Diggs during the scuffle, McDuffie, by the time the struggle had ended, had suffered the fracture of his skull “like an egg”, to use the words of the prosecutor at the trial.
McDuffie died four days later of his wounds, with the coroner’s report concluding that he had suffered multiple skull fractures. In 1981 Dade County paid the McDuffie family $1.1 million to settle a civil lawsuit against the officials.
More Resources:
- Orlando Sun Sentinel: Cop can’t seem to live down ’80 coverup
- Google News Clippings from 1980: Tough Guy Cop Marrero Cries at Trial
- Miami News 1980: Officer Diggs Wants Job Back
- Miami Beach 411
- StreetGangs.com
- Southern Changes: The Case Behind the Riots
- St. Petersburg Times 1979: Cops Charged in Beating Death
- Prezi Slideshow: Tragic Death of Arthur McDuffie
- PBS American Experience Transcript Related to Riots
- Orlando Sun Sentinel: Cop Involved in McDuffie Beating Arrested on Drug Charges
- New York Times: Officer Involved in Beating that Led to Miami Riots Arrested on Drug Charges
- Black America Web: Little Known Facts of Miami Race Riots of 1980
- The Officers on LinkedIn (is this them?) Today: Alex Marrero; William Hanlon; Ira Diggs
- Tampa Bay Times re Officer Hanlon: Whatever happened to redemption?
- Polygraph Report on Officer Hanlon