*A series of viral TikTok videos show Orlando Police Department officers drawing their guns on a pair of Black men riding bicycles, detaining the men, then apologizing to them after realizing they had the wrong guys.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the men were riding their bikes at 11:47 p.m. on April 19 after a trip to 7-11. They were about to pass a parked police cruiser with flashing lights when officers standing around the squad car suddenly pulled out their guns and ordered them to get off their bikes and onto the ground. One of the men just happened to be wearing a GoPro camera, which captured the entire ordeal.
“Woah, what? What happened,” the man with the GoPro yelled. “We ain’t do nothing. … I’m saying you got your guns drawn and we ain’t do nothing.”
Once on the ground, officers instructed the other man to crawl toward them. Video showed the men on the ground and handcuffed surrounded by five or six officers.
“I mean I would like to know what’s going on,” the man wearing the camera asked the officers, who told him he and his friend “matched the description” of suspects in a criminal investigation. “I didn’t commit no crime. I just left 7-Eleven… I don’t know what description you guys are talking about but I feel violated right now. You guys got my buddy right there crawling. I’m in cuffs. I didn’t do nothing wrong.”
Watch below:
@riskie_eWhat you think happen♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_eWe match the discretion of 2 suspects ????????????????????????♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_eDESCRIPTION♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_e????????????????♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_e♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_eNO WHERES THE ????????♀????♀????♀♬ original sound – Riskie _E
Orlando police released body-worn camera footage of an officer apologizing to the men after releasing them.
“I apologize that it wasn’t you but you guys matched the description and that’s why I did what I did,” the officer said.
“Honestly you cannot apologize for pulling a gun on me,” one of the men replied.
Watch below:
@riskie_eDO YOU HEAR THIS ????????????????????@reallhittaz_407♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_eDo you hear this ????????????♬ original sound – Riskie _E
Asked for an explanation after the video surfaced online, Orlando Police Department spokesperson Autumn Jones said the officers were investigating the robbery of a tourist that took place on International Drive about 10 minutes earlier. The victim told officers that two individuals had attacked him and took his wallet, digital camera and Apple Watch, and that the suspects claimed to have a gun. The victim described the suspects as “darker complexion” Black men riding bicycles, Jones said.
Watch the victim’s description of the suspects below:
@riskie_eSO HERES THE DESCRIPTION OF THE SUSPECTS ????????????????????????????????♀????♀♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_eGRAY HOODIE, WHITE PANTS. VICTIM NEVER SAW THE GUN, suspect said they had a GUN. ????♀ NEVER ASK TUE VICTIM IF HE ACTUALLY SAW THE GUN♬ original sound – Riskie _E
On Thursday, OPD released a heavily-redacted incident report, citing an open investigation. The man with the camera declined to answer where he lived or whether he had a Florida license but told officers he had a passport on him. He also gave a name, which the Orlando Sentinel didn’t publishing because he couldn’t be reached for comment and was cleared of involvement in the robbery.
In another video, apparently filmed the next morning, the man said he was detained on the sidewalk for two or three hours. (Jones, the police spokesperson, said the two men were detained for about 45 minutes.) The man said officers brought the victim to the scene who told them they were not the men who stole from him. He expressed frustration for being detained, saying he felt his rights were violated.
“If they just would have went to 7-Eleven, they would have seen we had just come from the 7-Eleven,” he said.
Watch below:
@riskie_eLike comments for more♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_eDESCRIPTION DIDN’T MATCH US ????????????????????????????♬ original sound – Riskie _E
“They were stopped in the immediate area of the armed robbery and were detained to determine if they were the suspects responsible for the violent crime,” she said.
No arrests have been made in the robbery, which is still under investigation.
Below is video of their initial “ride to 7-11 for some chips.”
@riskie_eTHE RIDE TO 7/11 FOR CHIPS♬ original sound – Riskie _E
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