NMB Students Turn Trayvon March Into Criminal Mischief Investigation
NORTH MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) -- Thousands of students in South Florida have taken part in school walkouts as a way to protest the lack of an arrest in the Trayvon Martin killing at the hands of a volunteer neighborhood watch captain.
All of them remained peaceful except for one and North Miami Beach police released surveillance video Tuesday of that incident which took place at a Walgreens located at 1501 NE 163rd Street.
According to North Miami Beach Police, between 400 to 500 students from North Miami Beach Senior High School took part in a student protest Friday, March 23rd when as many as 100 of those students swarmed the Walgreens around 10:40 a.m.
Surveillance video released by police Tuesday showed the students flooding through the front doors of the business.
The school Assistant Principal is also seen in the video trying to stop the students from continuing to flood into the store and telling the ones inside to get out.
Some of the students ransacked shelving displays and broke some merchandise, valued at approximately $150, according to North Miami Beach police.
Police and Walgreens have yet to determine if any store items may have been stolen.
The video does not show the ransacking or any theft.
Police are using the video to identify the students involved in the criminal mischief investigation.
Interim Police Chief Larry Gomer stated, "Our police department fully understands that our country was founded on free speech and we agree that all people have a right to peacefully march in protest. We will even help with law enforcement duties to facilitate such orderly demonstrations. However, criminal acts will not be tolerated. This instance crossed that line, and will not be tolerated now or in the future. We all understand that this is a very emotional issue but when our businesses or our community are negatively impacted by anyone breaking a law, we will enforce those laws without question."
It's not clear if any charges will be filed.
