A 55-year-old cyclist claims police unfairly arrested him and charged him with two felonies after he placed his hands on a cruiser during an Ocean Drive operation.
Vladimir Tovar, a Miami engineer, faces charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The arrest report states Tovar “intentionally struck” the cruiser hard enough to cause dents “approximately four to five times” and ignored commands to stop.
“I put my hand (on) the police car,” Tovar said after bonding out of jail Friday morning.
Tovar said he rode into Miami Beach Thursday evening. On Ocean Drive, he passed undercover officers preparing arrests for illegal sales.
Officers requested a nearby cruiser for safety, according to Miami Beach police. The cruiser partially blocked the bike lane when cameras recorded Tovar approaching.
“A cyclist traveling northbound reportedly struck the marked police vehicle intentionally before fleeing despite a sergeant’s lawful directive to stop,” MBPD spokesman Christopher Bess said. “The cyclist was subsequently located and arrested.”
Tovar insists he did nothing wrong. He said video shows another cyclist approaching as he neared the cruiser. He claims he touched the vehicle to keep his balance while avoiding the rider and barriers.
“The first hand (on the cruiser) was to stop,” Tovar said. “The second hand (was) to (not) fall down. I just (tried) to stop.”
He also criticized how officers treated him.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “At the detention center, they sent me to a little jail with people with mental problems. Then, they put me in a van with nine people in 90-degree heat like you see at the border.”
“How can I explain this to my 17-year-old son?” he asked.
Tovar said he plans to fight the charges.
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