Police: Fort Lauderdale man arrested for Sunday shooting on South Beach (2024)

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A Fort Lauderdale man is facing first-degree murder charges after being arrested by Miami Beach police following a shooting early Sunday morning.

Miami Beach police arrested Dontavious Polk, 24, of Fort Lauderdale, who they say shot another man on Ocean Drive. It was the second fatal shooting to happen on Ocean Drive over the weekend.

Surveillance video captured the man, who police later identified as Polk, walking northbound on the west sidewalk in the 100 block of Ocean Drive. The victim was walking southbound on the west sidewalk.

The video shows the suspect with his hands underneath the T-shirt he is wearing, then approaching the victim, pulling out a handgun and shooting the victim several times. After the victim fell to the ground, police said Polk continued to shoot him several more times and then he ran north on Ocean Drive.

According to Miami Beach police, the shooting happened on Sunday at 3:29 a.m.

The victim was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

A second person was injured but treated and released at the scene. Police did not say if that victim was shot or how they were injured.

Police said Polk ran north on Ocean Drive and then west at 11th Street when a Miami Dade Police officer spotted the suspect holding a firearm and a foot pursuit ensued. At one point, police say Polk dropped the firearm. He was apprehended in the 1200 block of Washington Avenue.

Once in custody, Polk was transported to Ryder Trauma Center after complaining he had pain from a pre-existing gunshot wound. He was eventually released and was transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Investigators said 11 .40 caliber casings were found at the crime scene and that the gun the suspect dropped was a stolen semi-automatic handgun.

Officers also said a gun was recovered from the shooting victim.

The Sunday night shooting happened less than 48 hours after a person was killed and another wounded during the busy Spring Break season.

On Friday night, panicked spring breakers ran through Miami Beach moments after a double shooting.

“Last night, there were a lot of gunshots and a lot of groups of people running,” said spring breaker Endiya Stalks.

Cell phone video showed police rushing to the scene near Ocean Drive and 7th Street.

When they arrived, two men were found shot. One man was pronounced dead while the other suffered life-threatening injuries.

Gunfire can be heard in video obtained by Local 10 News, which also showed a man on the ground after being shot.

First responders could be seen on video administering CPR at the scene.

Miami Beach police took one person into custody who they say is cooperating with investigators. Four guns were also recovered from the scene, police said.

Some who witnessed the shooting said they still feel safe going out.

“There are a lot of policemen on bikes, way more security guards, more locked down than yesterday,” said Stalks.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber is implementing a State of Emergency that includes an 11:59 p.m. curfew Sunday night that will last until 6 a.m. Monday.

“The volume of people in our city and the unruly nature of too many and the presence of guns has created peril that cannot go unchecked,” Gelber said.

Despite several police agencies helping Miami Beach police, Gelber said the crowds are too difficult to manage.

He said over the past three weeks more than 70 guns have been impounded.

“We don’t ask for Spring Break in our city, we don’t want Spring Break in our city,” Gelber said. “It’s too rowdy, brings too much disorder and simply too difficult to police.”