{"id":4306,"date":"2015-01-20T19:57:24","date_gmt":"2015-01-21T00:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riotnumbers.com\/?p=199"},"modified":"2015-01-20T19:57:24","modified_gmt":"2015-01-21T00:57:24","slug":"miami-florida-1980","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sherlonya.net\/blog\/2015\/01\/miami-florida-1980\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami, Florida (1980)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"motorcycle\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the evening of May 16, 1979 Arthur McDuffie was riding his motorcycle when the police attempted to pull him over. A chase ensued at high speeds through a residential area. Eventually, McDuffie surrendered. Then he was beaten by police officers. He slipped into a coma and died a few days later.<\/p>\n

Immediately following the incident, police officers took steps to cover up what happened. Officers ran over the motorcycle that McDuffie had been riding to make it look like McDuffie’s injuries were a result of him losing control of his bike.<\/p>\n

The officer who had been dispatched to conduct a routine investigation of the scene found that upon his arrival that the scene had been “destroyed,” meaning that the scene had been cleaned up. This made it impossible for him to actually investigate.<\/p>\n

\"flashlight\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the county medical examiner was suspicious. He did not find the injuries that McDuffie sustained to be consistent with the story that the officers had told through the paperwork that they had submitted and statements they had made. The medical examiner thought that McDuffie appeared to have been beaten by a pipe, night stick, or heavy duty flashlight.<\/p>\n

\"9\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Officers suspended in connection with the McDuffie case.<\/p>\n

Because of the media attention paid to the case, the police officers’ defense attorneys asked that the trial be moved out of Dade County. The trial took place in Tampa.<\/p>\n

\"zero\"<\/a>Number of black jurors in this case. The defense team used their peremptory challenges <\/a> to ensure that no blacks would serve on this jury.<\/p>\n

\"3\"<\/a>Officers who were granted immunity for their testimony in the case.<\/p>\n

\"13\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Incidents of racial violence that might be described as mini riots that had occurred in Dade County, Florida in the 1970s.<\/p>\n

\"4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Incidents that some black residents were aware of in the months leading up to the riot.<\/p>\n