Several Arrested In 'Wheels Up, Guns Down' Event In Florida

Several people have already been arrested in the annual “Wheels Up, Guns Down” ride-out in Florida.

In Broward, Florida Highway Patrol vehicles were spotted along several exits and off-ramps for the Florida Turnpike.

Meanwhile further south, Miami-Dade police has towed 19 ATVs and dirt bikes and seized three firearms, according to the CBS affiliate in Miami.

MDPD has also made eight arrests, as of 2 p.m.

Dozens of ATV and dirt bike riders swarmed the streets of South Florida over the weekend, wreaking havoc and endangering drivers in the dangerous tradition.

Riders who take part say it is to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But police say not only is it dangerous, it’s illegal.

Law enforcement officers say they are closely monitoring the roads, looking for riders who take part in the yearly event.

One detective said why he is mostly concerned with groups like this.

“The hardest part of our job is to conduct death notifications to family members or be visiting them at trauma centers,” Jeffrey Childers with Miami-Dade police said.

The detective also listed several dangers that could impact other drivers, like reckless driving, inexperienced riders, and some ATVs and dirt bikes may have bad tires and cause serious or deadly crashes.

BSO said Saturday five people were arrested including 24-year-old Tevin Mathews, who is accused of striking a deputy with an ATV. The deputy is described as having non-life threatening injuries.