William Lozano Clement Lloyd, Allan Blanchard The 1989 Miami riot was sparked after Miami Police Department (MPD) officer William Lozano shot Black motorcyclist Clement Lloyd on January 16, 1989.
Lozano was on foot investigating an unrelated incident, heard about the situation on his police radio and later stated the motorcycle "veered toward him".
Lozano fired a shot at the motorcycle, striking Lloyd in the head and killing him instantly.
Several Black witnesses stated that Lozano walked almost to the center of the street with his handgun and poised ready to shoot for several seconds as the motorcycle approached.
[2] Rioting began almost immediately after the shooting in Overtown,[3][2] and on the following day in Liberty City, both predominantly Black neighborhoods of Miami, and continued until January 19 when the Chicago Bulls including star player Michael Jordan played a scheduled game in Overtown against the Miami Heat, who were in their inaugural season.