A heated dispute at a South Beach Burger King took a dangerous turn on Friday night when 36-year-old Michael Reyes allegedly pulled a gun on another customer during an argument. WSVN reports that the incident occurred at the Whopper Bar location on Washington Avenue, which is situated directly across from the Miami Beach Police station.
The confrontation escalated rapidly with Reyes reportedly pulling out the firearm and holding it under his right armpit the victim told detectives that he was in fear for his life when Reyes "racked the firearm, he aimed the firearm at him, causing him to be in fear for his life and making him run towards the exit." The alarming scene was interrupted by Miami Beach cops who were close by, due to the location's proximity to their headquarters and also because of the increased police presence in the area for spring break festivities.
Cellphone footage showed officers swarming the fast food outlet before apprehending Reyes, who was later discovered by police to be carrying the weapon between his groin area without a holster and with a bullet chambered, ready to fire, details from the arrest report reveals that the gun had been reported stolen out of Fort Lauderdale, augmenting Reyes' charges with grand theft of a firearm, which is a third-degree felony. Officers on the scene also found marijuana on Reyes, leading to additional drug charges.
Amidst the chaos, Miami Beach Police managed to restrain Reyes, cuff him, and haul him out of the Burger King, the ordeal drew a sizable crowd both inside and outside the restaurant as scores of patrons and passersby caught the takedown on their phones, Fox Sheldon shared on Twitter that police responded swiftly after the gun was brandished just steps away from the department's front door. Reyes is now facing serious criminal charges, including aggravated assault.
Steps from Miami Beach Police Headquarters’ front door, a gun is pulled inside Burger King, before cops on spring break duty rush restaurant and arrest accused aggravated assaulter @wsvn #Exclusive story: https://t.co/mpVnlPZLkx @SamanthaSosa_
— Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) March 10, 2024
