Miami

Hateful handwritten messages scattered around Miami Beach, police say they can’t do anything – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports


MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – A man has been caught on camera posting sinister signs with a menacing message on Miami Beach.

Despite the community being hit by hate, police said there is nothing they can do about it.

Surveillance footage shows the man in a van, getting out with the signs.

He stuck one on a Ninth Street building, before 7 a.m., March 22.

As the footage continues, it shows him walking across the street and planting another sign into the ground, and there were more signs found in other locations.

Near Ocean Drive and 10th Street, another discovery was made from a public Instagram account.

“Somebody out here really don’t like black people,” said a man on the Instagram video.

Miami Beach Police are also in possession of the video.

The handwritten messages say “No more [n-word] and shootings.”

The messages were distributed a day after the largest spring break crowds of the season were recorded on South Beach and after two consecutive days of shots fired on Ocean Drive, which resulted in five people injured along with the announcement of a spring break curfew.

“I was jolted,” said Mitch Novik.

A couple days later, the signs were also discovered by Novick. He owns the Sherbrooke Hotel, and his cameras captured him noticing the sign, and he took a picture of it.

He took the sign down that March 22 morning.

“I rip down all hate, and that’s what I did,” said Novick.

7News ran into some tourists visiting Miami Beach from Cleveland and asked their opinion on the matter.

“For people to still be hurtful and hateful, it’s heartbreaking,” said tourist Adele Tucker.

“It was done by someone who is ignorant, so I will not acknowledge it, and I have no respect for anyone who feels that way,” said tourist Michelle Reese.

The mystery man on video with the signs also appeared on Novick’s camera footage.

Novick emailed the video to Police Chief Rick Clements to inform the department about the hateful messages he found.

“Terrible,” said Novick.

A source within the MBPD said they have made contact with the man who posted the signs. However…

In response to a 7News inquiry on whether any criminal charges or arrests could be filed in the near future, Miami Beach Police stated, “We’ve identified the subject believed to be involved. However, after conferring with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, there are no applicable charges. These cowardly acts have no place in our city or anywhere else.”

The City of Miami Beach has since lifted their state of emergency along with the curfew.

Copyright 2021 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox



Source link