A Florida man arrested earlier this week on a concealed firearm charge could now face more serious charges after a confrontation with a group of Black teens in Miami, according to local reports.
Mark was arrested after he reportedly approached the teens, who were protesting on bicycles, with a gun and repeatedly used a racial slur, as seen in videos of the incident. Miami Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said the firearm charge was not enough and assigned the case to her office’s hate crimes unit for further investigation. She said she is “committed to filing the appropriate charges” and that she was outraged by the reported acts shown in the videos.
Mark spoke with WPLG and said he was trying to protect his girlfriend, Dana. He defended his use of the word by saying it is used by people of many backgrounds because it is used within the Black community. Those are his words and his explanation, and he has not been convicted of any hate crime.
The demonstration, called Wheels Up, Guns Down, takes place in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and is meant to promote peace. It has stirred controversy over the years and has often ended with arrests for illegal ATV and dirt bike riding.
