Today in Black Miami history, Arthur McDuffie a beloved insurance salesman & veteran, was pulled over by Miami police on his motorcycle Dec. 17, 1979 & beaten violently with clubs and heavy duty flashlights.
He died 4 days later. His death led to the 1980 McDuffie Rebellion.
He died 4 days later. His death led to the 1980 McDuffie Rebellion.
The officers who killed McDuffie falsified their police reports and tried to stage the scene of their brutal crime as a "car accident." It didn't work. The medical examiner said it was clear McDuffie was beaten to death. His head was cracked like an egg. An investigation ensued.
It is said McDuffie likely took police on a small chase because his license was suspended and he had accumulated some traffic tickets.
Miami police pulled Arthur McDuffie over for a suspended license, speeding in 1979 and then killed him.
That is a story we still know and see today. A minor traffic infraction for a Black man leading to death at the hands of the police. The officers were acquitted at trial.
That is a story we still know and see today. A minor traffic infraction for a Black man leading to death at the hands of the police. The officers were acquitted at trial.
The location where Arthur McDuffie was brutalized to death by Miami police is not marked. It's 38 St and North Miami Avenue. His name though is marked on 17th avenue in Liberty City where Black Miami took to the streets and set it on fire after the acquittal of the officers.
More on the Miami McDuffie Rebellion in this thread below. https://twitter.com/NadegeGreen/status/1266400050944638976?s=20