Riders face judges after annual 'Bikes Up, Guns Down' ride

1 fatality reported Monday night in Miami

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. ā€“ Dozens of people were arrested Monday in South Florida during the annual "Bikes Up, Guns Down" ride on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and on Tuesday some of them faced a judge.

Joe Bolden bonded out of jail Tuesday and paid $300 to get his ATV back, he said.

"I'll definitely be back next year, but we're definitely going to do it a little more careful and stay in the pack. Whatever you do, stay in the pack," he said.

Authorities said three people were arrested Monday in Miami-Dade County and 10 others were cited during the ride.

One fatality involving a dirt bike was also reported Monday night in the area of Northwest Sixth Avenue and Northwest 54th Street, Miami police said.

Police said JavisĀ Charles, 24, died after his dirt bike collided with a Toyota Camry that was making a left turn in front of the bike. Charles was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Javis Charles, 24, died Jan. 16 after his dirt bike collided with a Toyota Camry during the annual "Bikes Up, Guns Down" ride.

"I was at the MLK celebration over there and someone called my niece and they told me, and we rushed to the scene," Charles' mother, Carolyn Potter, said.

Potter has doubts that her son was involved in the demonstration, but Miami police said witnesses reported seeing Charles riding with a group moments before the crash.

"That was the only one time he did get the bike and take a ride out, but as you see, he didn't return back," she said.

Less than two hours earlier, another rider collided with a pick-up truck at Northwest 27th Avenue and 167th Street. That rider suffered serious injuries.

One rider was also killed Sunday after crashing on the Palmetto Expressway.

Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said 35 ATVs, dirt bikes and motorcycles were towed by authorities in the county, five vehicles were towed and three guns were recovered.

He said the citations given were for non-moving and moving violations. He said the people arrested face various charges, including resisting an officer without violence, reckless driving, obstructing traffic, being in possession of a stolen vehicle and other traffic-related and gun-related charges.

Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said Monday that 35 total arrests were made in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. She said 74 vehicles were towed and three firearms were seized in a joint operation with authorities from both counties.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.