Two Black cyclists in Orlando were wrongfully detained because police believed they fit the description of armed robbers on bikes in the area, The Orlando Sentinel reported.
Video recorded by one of the two cyclists using a GoPro camera showed officers stopping the men and directing them to get on the ground and crawl toward police after a man reported having his Apple watch and camera stolen at gunpoint by two dark-skinned Black men on bicycles.
“Whoa, what? What happened,” yelled the cyclist with the GoPro. “We ain’t do nothing… I’m saying you got your guns drawn and we ain’t do nothing…”
The cyclist with the camera can then be heard asking officers why they were being stopped. He tried to explained that he and the other cyclist were returning from the local 7-Eleven store.
“I mean I would like to know what’s going on. I didn’t commit no crime. I just left 7-Eleven…,” said the cyclist.
One officer replied, “You matched the description. That’s why you are being detained right now. Alright man?”
The cyclist responded, “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.”
While de declined to give his address, the cyclist did provide police with his name and a passport for identification.
Later, one of the cyclists communicated his harrowing experience of being held at gunpoint in another video where he said they were eventually released because the victim of the robbery was brought over and told police they were holding the wrong people. He explained that he felt as though his rights were denied during the event that took place.
He said, “If they just would have went to 7-Eleven, they would have seen we had just come from the 7-Eleven.”
Orlando police released the bodycam footage of the officers apologizing to the men after the robbery victim told them the two cyclists they were holding were not the men who robbed him. One of the cyclists appeared to accept the apology. The other asked a series of questions as to what description they fit that led to the stop in the first place and why they were held at gunpoint.
@riskie_eDo you hear this ???♬ original sound – Riskie _E
@riskie_eDO YOU HEAR THIS ?????@reallhittaz_407♬ original sound – Riskie _E
Orlando police release a heavily redacted report of the incident on Thursday. The report called the robbery an ongoing investigation and stated that there have been no arrests in the robbery.
