Recently released body camera footage captured a Miami police officer shoot a driver who allegedly struck the officer while he was directing traffic last year.
The shooting happened just after 7 p.m. May 25 while the officer was handling traffic duties as part of a large police detail for the Best of the Best music festival at Bayfront Park, WPLG-reports. In body camera footage released Monday, the officer is directing cars when a black BMW in front of him continued to inch forward.
The officer appears to hold up his hands, telling a vehicle to stop. A moment later, the vehicle seems to hit the officer, who lands on the BMW's hood.
That's when the officer opens fire, wounding the driver. The BMW rolls forward, striking a parked cruiser, and a bloody driver, identified as Menelek Clarke, walks away from the scene.
The officer orders Clarke to stop, and he falls to the ground. Other officers reach the scene, and Clarke is handcuffed and treated for his injuries.
Clarke was taken to the hospital in stable condition with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening. He's charged with aggravated battery on an officer and other charges.
