Two more arrested from protest that turned violent outside Miami police station
Miami police have announced two more arrests of protesters who were a part of an anti-police brutality protest that turned violent in Miami.
Ethan Moise Berdah, 19, and Orlana Virginia Albornoz, 25, were arrested on Monday in connection with their involvement in the May 30 George Floyd protests near the Miami Police Department. Police say Berdah stole department property and Albornoz injured an officer.
Berdah was charged with one count each of grand theft law enforcement emergency vehicle equipment, burglary and resisting an officer without violence. Albornoz was charged with one count of battery to a police officer.
Police say Berdah stole a bulletproof vest from a police cruiser during the protest, and days later posed with it on social media, which ultimately led to his arrest. Some time after the post an FBI agent spoke with Berdah and he helped the agent get the vest back.
Berdah’s attorney Brian Bieber said Berdah was part of the peaceful protest when it “spiraled out of control” and patrol cars were vandalized. He said Berdah did not take the vest.
“Mr. Berdah had no role nor did he participate in any conduct of that sort,” Bieber said. “He made the mistake with posing for a photograph with an officer’s bulletproof vest, an immature act he deeply regrets. He immediately took corrective action when confronted by the police and made sure the bulletproof vest was returned. We plan to deal with the criminal charges in an expeditious fashion.”
Albornoz’s arrest report says she threw a large rock at an officer, hitting his left leg and causing bruises and abrasions. Albornoz says she was at the protest but didn’t throw objects or injure an officer.
The May 30 protest began in front of the Torch of Friendship monument at Bayfront Park. The crowd then marched down Northeast Third Street and ended up in front of the Miami Police Department where a moment of silence was held for Floyd. After, they marched back to Biscayne Boulevard and in front of the Freedom Tower.
Eventually, the protesters marched onto Interstate 95. Traffic was shut down and some people climbed atop traffic signs and took selfies in front of graffiti-scrawled police cars. The interstate was cleared but a group of protesters gathered in front of the west entrance of a Miami police garage.
This is when the protest took a turn from peaceful to violent.
As a large portion of the crowd was thinning, some men jumped on top of a parked Miami patrol car. One person threw a gallon jug of water at police, even as protesters were trying to get him to stop. Soon, others were throwing rocks and other items — and officers started firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
As the night went on and tensions between police and protesters climbed, a police cruiser was set ablaze. Due to the escalating violence, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez put into effect a countywide 10 p.m. curfew. All Miami-Dade transit was also suspended.
That night, 57 people were arrested, 30 of whom were from Miami-Dade and 11 with addresses in Broward or Palm Beach counties. Only seven had addresses out of state and six others were homeless. Three were unclear.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 4:31 PM.
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