A Shocked Miami Takes Stock After Night of Violence

A Latino neighborhood ravaged by hundreds of rioters returned nearly to normal today as residents and city workers cleaned up after the looting and burning sparked by the acquittal of six police officers in the beating death of a Puerto Rican drug dealer.

Mayor Xavier Suarez said the city was taken by surprise by the violence that began about 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Wynwood neighborhood north of downtown.

There were no serious injuries in the rioting, which started hours after a federal jury cleared the Miami officers of conspiracy and other charges in the death of Leonardo Mercado.

“I certainly didn’t expect kids with hoods (to hide their identity),” Suarez said while surveying the riot scene today. “We just have to keep learning and people have to understand that a court decision cannot lead to extreme violence and a sort of loss of total control as we saw last night.”

Police spokesman Bobby Navarro said police following tips were going to homes in the neighborhood to recover stolen property, including computers and other office equipment. However, there were no more police on patrol than usual, he said.

“I would say things are normal--about as normal as you can get after a riot,” he said.

Shouts of “We want justice” and “Viva justice!” could be heard from many of the rioters. Police dressed in riot gear clashed several times with the looters, some of them wearing masks fashioned from paper bags and T-shirts, and authorities managed to bring the area under control by 11 p.m.

Police said a dozen people were arrested.

Patrick Gerrits, owner of a general contracting firm that his father built in 1948, had his building looted and destroyed by fire.

“It’s more of a personal pain probably than anything else,” Gerrits said. “We support the community. . . . All this land used to be ours. We gave it to the city to expand the park to try and help this community--the Puerto Rican community. Virtually, they’ve about ruined me.”