Miami Riot 1980,

Miami, Florida
May 18, 1980

Agencies: Miami-Dade Police Department Florida

Cause of death: Not Yet Known

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Last updated: over 5 years ago

Overview

The 1980 Miami riots were race riots that occurred in Miami, Florida, starting in earnest on May 18, 1980,following the acquittal of four Miami-Dade Police officers in the death of Arthur McDuffie (December 3, 1946 – December 21, 1979). McDuffie, a black salesman and former Marine, died from injuries sustained at the hands of four white officers trying to arrest him after a high-speed chase. The officers were tried and acquitted for manslaughter and evidence tampering, among other charges. Subsequently, a race riot broke out in the black neighborhoods of Overtown and Liberty City in Miami. In 1981 Dade County paid McDuffie's family a settlement of $1.1 million after they filed a civil lawsuit against the officials. The 1980 Miami riots were the deadliest since the 1960s and remained such until the 1992 Los Angeles riots twelve years later.