Fight breaks out at Calle Ocho — slipsliding and fisticuffs caught on video

Miami’s lively Calle Ocho street party ended Sunday in a melee caught on video.

While a few feet away people were dancing to different rhythms, a dozen men were going at it with their fists. Others – including a woman – tried to break it up.

The fight began with a handful of men on a sidewalk, but less than a minute later the fight splintered into several small groups that fought in the middle of the street that was closed to vehicle traffic because of Calle Ocho, the annual street fare that runs through Little Havana.

It is not known what motivated arguments but Daymi Fernandez, the user who shared the video on Facebook, suggests that it was a consequence of alcohol. In the video, you can see some men who seem to have difficulty standing and are constantly slipping. However, it is not clear whether it was alcohol or just that the ground was wet by the afternoon rain.

Luis Cabrera, Miami’s deputy police chief, said Monday that he’d seen the video but police aren’t investigating the incident barring a formal report.

“We’re not investigating anything right now, due to the fact that no one's come forward,” he said.

Police statistics show that, barring the video-taped brawl, Sunday’s festivities were fairly peaceful. Police recorded only nine arrests: one for aggravated assault, one for simple battery, and the rest related to public intoxication.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 7:24 AM with the headline "Fight breaks out at Calle Ocho — slipsliding and fisticuffs caught on video."