Officer-worn body camera video captured the moment police took down an armed and dangerous fast food customer in South Beach during one of this year’s busiest spring break weekends.
The footage shows Miami Beach Police officers rushing into the Burger King Whopper Bar along Washington Avenue, near 11th Street, March 8.
“There’s a male with a gun at the Burger King,” said an officer over police radio.
“It’s right here, it’s right here! Burger King, right here!” an officer is heard saying in the bodycam video.
It was an all-out cop blitz to stop a pistol-wielding man in a wheelchair inside the restaurant after what, detectives said, an argument spiraled out of control.
Luckily, officers were close by, because this crime took place feet away and directly across the street from Miami Beach Police headquarters.
The altercation that led to the man’s arrest happened during spring break, when there were extra police officers from across Miami-Dade County in Miami Beach to provide help during the high-impact weekend.
At least a dozen officers had their hands full taking the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Michael Anthony Reyes, into custody.
Reyes initially denied being armed.
“You got a weapon on you?” an officer said.
“No, bro!” said Reyes.
The bodycam video shows the suspect appearing to reach toward his waist.
“Hey! Do not [expletive] reach!” said an officer.
Moments later, officers found a gun in Reyes’ pants.
The arrest report states, “The firearm was not in a holster and loaded with a chambered round.”
After being flagged down, the arrest report states, police spoke with the the victim, “who stated he was in line waiting to order a meal when the defendant started having a verbal altercation with him and his friends for no reason. The victim stated he asked the defendant what was his problem when the defendant became irate. The defendant then brandished a firearm and held the firearm underneath his right armpit.”
The arrest report also states the victim told officers that Reyes “racked the firearm, he aimed the firearm at him, causing him to be in fear for his life and making him run towards the exit.”
Officers collected the gun, weed and cash form Reyes and dropped the evidence into a Burger King bag.
Reyes was wheeled from the restaurant and taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade. He faces multiple felony charges and has an open pending case.
