A Ferris wheel operator who assaulted a Black woman was attacked by a throng of individuals who witnessed the incident.
On Saturday (April 17), a Black mother attended the Opa Locka Hialeah Flea Market in Miami, Florida with her children. When she made her way out of one of the rides, she and an employee got into an argument that escalated into a physical altercation moments later.
Video of the encounter shows as the flea market worker puts his hands on the woman and abruptly pushes her, causing her to lose balance and bump one of her children, who falls to the ground.
The two start throwing punches at each other, prompting off-duty cops to request assistance for the “escalating disturbance.” Before the backup arrives, however, fellow attendees jump over a gate to help the Black woman. Responding cops eventually show up to see the full-out brawl.
Authorities managed to track down and identify the woman. After a brief interview, they came to the conclusion that there was “probable cause” to arrest the Ferris wheel employee, condemning the overall incident.
“Our detectives have interviewed and secured a written statement from the victim and probable cause exists to arrest the carnival employee depicted in the video,” police said in a statement, per CBS Miami. “The Opa-Locka Police Department does not tolerate any criminal acts of violence and will prosecute those individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
As of Monday morning (April 19), it was not clear if the Ferris wheel operator — who also got into an altercation with his coworker — had been arrested in connection with the incident. Authorities failed to mention whether the suspect will face any charges.
Check out the tweets below to see footage of the brawl between the Black mother and the Ferris wheel employee.