More Peaceful Protests In Downtown Miami; Police Chief Under Fire

MIAMI, FL — Hundreds of peaceful protesters took to the streets of Miami Friday calling for racial equality and defunding of police as some downtown businesses closed their shops early and police restricted access in and out of the city as a precaution.

Meanwhile, Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina, who was one of the first police chiefs in the U.S. to take a public stand against the in-custody death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, came under scrutiny by the Miami Community Police Benevolent Association, which accused him of using a racial slur during a training exercise more than two decades ago and fostering a culture of misconduct.

A few protesters wearing yellow safety vests, including one holding a piece of wood like a shield, pushed a man wearing a soccer shirt out of the crowd who they said was attempting to stir up emotions.

"He's a provocateur. That's all he is," one of the protesters told a gaggle of reporters as protesters pushed the man across Biscayne Boulevard near Bayfront park. "He was just agitating the crowd and that's not what we want."

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered the nearby Government Center Station transit hub to be closed throughout the weekend ahead of protests. The station is located outside the 28-floor Stephen P. Clark Government Center building, where the mayor 's office and a number of other county offices are located.

Officer Kiara Delva of the Miami Police Department said police suggested businesses in the area close early but didn't require them to do so.

"We recommended that nonessential businesses close no later than 2 p.m. because of the significant interruptions in both traffic and pedestrian traffic ... and also our uncertainty if the protest is going to remain peaceful," she told Patch as protesters wound their way through downtown and crossed a bridge into the Brickell area at one point.

Sgt. Stanley Jean-Poix, president of the nation's second-oldest African-American police officer organization, called for Colina's firing at a news conference late Friday afternoon over the racial slur.

"We believe that Chief Colina harbors implicit biases," Jean-Poix said on behalf of the Miami Community Police Benevolent Association.

City Mayor Francis Suarez and Colina both dismissed the 300-member organization's concerns.

"In 1997, I was an undercover police officer as shocking as that may sound, and I was teaching a class," Colina said in a video shared with his officers. "I started the class by saying that I was going to be using language that could be very offensive. And that was the point."

The chief said undercover work often requires officers to say things that might otherwise make them uncomfortable.

"I gave many examples of what that could be, and a lot of that language was in fact offensive, but again that was the point of the class," Colina insisted.

He said the chief of police at the time recognized he was making a teaching point, but nevertheless reprimanded him for "tact and consideration — not because I'm a bigot or a racist, but because they weren't happy with some of the language that I used," Colina said. "I have been here 30 years. You can't hide who you are, and everyone that works here knows exactly what kind of person I am."

Colina insisted his agency now has the most black staff members in its history under his leadership. Several black officers who were promoted to positions of authority said they hadn't experienced the issues raised by the organization.

Interstate 95 was closed in both directions for a time around the downtown area amid fears that protesters might spill out onto the busy highway as they have in some previous demonstrations.

Miami Beach police also closed the westbound lanes of the MacArthur Causeway for a time in response to the protests. The causeway connects downtown Miami with the city of Miami Beach.

Metrorail and Metromover services will operate on from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the weekend but will bypass Government Center station. Metrorail riders can get off at the Brickell or Historic Overtown/Lyric Theater stations.

Metromover riders can use the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. station, which services all loops, or Third Street station for Brickell and Omni loops or Miami Avenue station for Inner loop service.

Metrobus routes that service Government Center will be detoured from the area. These routes are: 2, 7 / 7A, 9, 11, 21, 51 Flagler MAX, 77, 93 Biscayne MAX, 119 Route S, 120 Beach MAX, 207 Little Havana Connection, 208 Little Havana Connection, 246 Night Owl, 277 NW 7th Avenue MAX, and 500 Midnight Owl.

Detour information is listed on the transit service updates page.

The Go Nightly program, for late night service from midnight to 5 a.m. for some Metrobus routes, is not affected. STS services will operate regularly over the weekend.