Miami Police Shooting Caught On Camera: Cop Fires Multiple Times At Driver After Clinging To Car

Miami: An intense, dramatic scene surfaced in downtown Miami on Sunday, leading to a panic-like situation at the site. A Miami police officer was captured on camera firing multiple rounds through the windshield of a black BMW as he clung to its hood for dear life after the driver allegedly hit him and accelerated forward. The incident, which occurred in front of Bayfront Park, has raised questions about police conduct.

The wild cellphone footage, obtained by a local media, shows the police officer, wearing a reflective yellow vest, holding on to the hood of the BMW as he presses his service pistol against the windshield and fires at least three shots into the car. In the video, panic-stricken bystanders can be heard as the vehicle tries to turn left but rolls to a stop, allowing the officer to jump off to safety. The driver's side door swings open, and the driver, identified as 21-year-old Menelek Clarke, bolts out of the car in a blood-stained white shirt. He stops a few feet away before being ordered by the officer who shot him to get on the ground in the middle of the street.

The video also captured that the blood-soaked driver complies with the police officer's instruction, lying down on his back before being told to roll over by another officer who rushes into the frame and puts him in handcuffs as the video ends. 

According to Miami Police Assistant Chief Armando Aguilar, Clarke was shot several times during the incident and was rushed to Ryder Trauma Centre for treatment. The officer involved was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries before being released.

"We don't know exactly what happened. We do know there was physical contact between the officer and the vehicle," Aguilar said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting and reviewing the officer's body camera footage and surveillance video from the area.

Meanwhile, the incident has erupted into a controversy, with Clarke's sister, Sherylann Clarke, disputing the officer's account of events. According to Sherylann, the patrol officer signalled for her brother to go, and then stood in front of his car and shot him. "It wasn't intentional to hit him – no. The man moved with the car as he was going around him," she claimed. Clarke's sister further added, "I feel like he was wrongfully shot multiple times in his vehicle with no weapon."

The incident occurred during the Best of the Best Caribbean music festival, which drew an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 concertgoers. According to reports, dozens of attendees fled for cover as the shots rang out.