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The dramatic moment a Miami police officer opened fire and hit the driver multiple times while on the hood of a moving car was captured on video by a bystander.
The shocking incident happened at Bayfront Park on Sunday, with the officer firing into the windshield before the driver of a black BMW stopped the car, got out and surrendered, according to Local 10 News.
In another video, the officer instructed Menelek Clarke, 21, to roll over. The man had noticeable blood stains on his back and was later handcuffed by police.
Pedestrians began to panic as the scene unfolded near the Best of the Best music festival. People were seen running for cover to avoid getting caught in the violence.
Speaking to the outlet, the driver’s sister, Sherlyann Clarke, told the outlet that her brother, “said that he felt like he was gonna die.” He sustained several gunshot wounds before he was apprehended and transported to a nearby hospital.
“I feel like he was wrongfully shot multiple times in his vehicle with no weapon,” the woman said.
The officer was suddenly hit by the BMW, police said, while directing traffic along Biscayne Boulevard on Sunday.
Clarke’s car also had several bullet holes in the front windshield. The footage obtained by the outlet shows the officer firing into the car while on the vehicle’s hood. The footage does not show what happened in the moments leading up to the incident.
“The patrol officer, we were all stopped, we were in the middle lane,” said the man’s sister, claiming they were looking for parking at the time. “He told everyone else to go with his hand -- hand signaling that we can go. And then he stood in front of my brother’s car and shot him.”
In a statement after the incident, Miami Police Department Assistant Police Chief Armando Aguilar said: “We don’t know exactly what happened. We do know there was physical contact between the officer and the vehicle,” he said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.
