MIAMI — It’s a yearly battle between officers struggling to enforce the law and riders trying to take a message of non-violence to the streets of South Florida.
This year, two police officers ended up in the hospital.
According to CBS Miami, one was hurt when a rider crashed his ATV into a police cruiser. Another ATV ran over an officer’s foot.
WFOR-TV reports a rider was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after he was hit by a car backing out of a driveway.
Police said the bike did not have any lights. As they do every year, law enforcement agencies promised zero tolerance.
“WARNING: The use of dirt bikes, ATV’s, and other illegal vehicles are strictly prohibited on our roadways,” Miami Beach Police tweeted on Saturday.
“Officers will cite, arrest, and seize.”
But stopping large groups of riders who routinely weave through traffic while popping wheelies and ignoring basic rules of the road is far from easy.
Of the hundreds of people who participate in the unsanctioned event, Miami-Dade Police reported 14 arrests and 18 impounds, according to WFOR.
WSVN reports two guns were also seized – even though the event is reportedly supposed to be all about combating gun violence.
“Wheels Up, Guns Down” has been hitting the road over the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend for the past five years, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
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