MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Police video released on Friday shows a man riding a bike while appearing to make contact with a patrol car on Ocean Drive in South Beach.
A police officer arrested Vladimir Tovar, the man riding the bike, on Thursday evening. He was still wearing his bike shoes and cycling gear when he walked out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Tovar claims he was just trying to maneuver around the squad car on his ride. Police officers parked their police car in the middle of the bike lane. Tovar said he put his hand on the squad car just to stabilize himself so he wouldn’t fall over.
“I just tried to stop. If I tried to continue, I’d hit the front of a car, and also the other bike coming in front of me,” Tovar said.
But police say their video shows Tovar struck the police car. According to the police arrest report, the officers were in the middle of an undercover operation, and the impact was so “hard” it “nearly” dented the car.
The officer “gave the defendant multiple verbal commands to stop” and he “ignored these commands, accelerating and pedaling away at a higher speed,” a police officer wrote.
POLICE STATEMENT: The Miami Beach Police Department is aware of an incident that occurred on Tuesday, August 14, 2025, during a covert operation. Undercover officers assigned to the operation requested the assistance of a marked police unit to facilitate a takedown.
To ensure a safe initiation of the arrest and minimize potential hazards to the public, the marked unit approached the scene utilizing a portion of the designated bicycle lane. Upon arrival, a cyclist traveling northbound reportedly struck the marked police vehicle intentionally before fleeing the area, despite a sergeant’s lawful directive to stop.
The cyclist was subsequently located and arrested.
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