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Huge crowds ignore social distancing orders as cash thrown for rap video

Hundreds of people gathered next to a popular Florida beach over the weekend, flouting the state’s social distancing restrictions, while a shooting took place nearby on a chaotic US holiday weekend.

Police were forced to disperse crowds of people along a beachside road at Daytona Beach, Florida, with people seen partying and dancing, despite the state imposing social distancing restrictions to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

While May 25 marked Memorial Day weekend in the US, local authorities did not authorise gatherings to mark the occasion.

Police believe a group of men in a car near Daytona Beach were filming a music video, interrupting traffic. Source: Facebook/Volusia Sheriff's Office
Police believe a group of men in a car near Daytona Beach were filming a music video, interrupting traffic. Source: Facebook/Volusia Sheriff's Office

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office released helicopter images showing the large Memorial Day weekend crowds surrounding a car outside a beachfront mall.

A man is seen on the sunroof of the vehicle and other men are hanging out the windows throwing money around and blocking traffic.

The man who stood on the sunroof of the car is wanted by authorities, but no arrests have been made.

“We are going to identify him and we are going to charge him. He was the linchpin of all this that happened,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a Sunday news conference, adding that they believe the group was filming a rap video.

Pictures of the men on the car in the middle of the road at Daytona Beach, blocking traffic while people flock around the vehicle.
A man is seen on the sun roof of the car while others hang out the windows throwing money. Source: Facebook/Volusia Sheriff's Office

Chitwood and Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri defended the work of officers in dispersing the crowds, saying people complied with the orders to leave and that no businesses received damage.

“We got slammed,” Sheriff Chitwood said at a Sunday news conference.

“Disney is closed, Universal is closed. Everything is closed so where did everybody come with the first warm day with 50% opening? Everybody came to the beach.”

In Florida and Volusia County state people must be in groups of 10 or fewer, as per the social distancing rules.

Chief Capri confirmed on Sunday two people were shot on South Ocean Avenue where several people were injured.

The shooting reportedly happened outside a convenience store and two people shot were taken to hospital, and four people were injured by shrapnel.

It is understood officers were not involved in the shooting and Volusia Sheriff's Office confirmed on their Facebook page police did not have anyone in custody.

Beaches elsewhere also saw major Memorial Day weekend crowds that prompted law enforcement to turn away beachgoers, with deputies shutting down access to St Petersburg and Clearwater by midday on Saturday.

However, officials have been criticised for not using force against the crowds and not making any arrests for social distancing violations, a decision Chief Capri defended.

“I know people were upset with the numbers of crowds there. I am a little pissed off, too, about a lot of this. We don’t take this lightly,” Chief Capri said.

“We got the coronavirus still going around and people not practising social distancing. But I am not the social distancing police. It’s not my job.”

Failing to social distance not a crime, police chief says

Chief Capri then added that a failure to social distance was not a crime, but there had been an executive order issued by the governor advising against it.

“It’s an executive order issued by the governor that no prosecutor in the state of Florida has prosecuted anybody for that, and no judge is going to convict them,” he said.

Officials said the gathering on Saturday was part of an annual event called “Orlando invades Daytona,” which did not receive permits this year.

Police said they were breaking up parties along the beach and more inland for hours and into the night.

Police were able to disperse the crowds, and no arrests have been made. Source: Facebook/ Volusia Sheriff’s Office
Police were able to disperse the crowds, and no arrests have been made. Source: Facebook/ Volusia Sheriff’s Office

Florida has reported more than 50,800 cases of COVID-19, and more than 2,230 deaths.

On the Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, said she was “very concerned” about scenes of people crowding together over the weekend.

“We really want to be clear all the time that social distancing is absolutely critical,” Dr Brix said on ABC’s ‘This Week’.

“And if you can’t social distance and you’re outside, you must wear a mask.”

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