1987 Tampa riots facts for kids

The 1987 Tampa riots were two times when people protested in Tampa, Florida. These events happened in February and April 1987. They started after two African American men died after encounters with the police. Other similar protests also happened in the College Hill area during the 1980s.

These 1987 events were similar to protests that happened almost 20 years earlier. In 1967, Tampa was also the site of protests for several days.

The February 1987 Events

The first protest started after a 23-year-old African American man named Melvin Eugene Hair died. This happened after police officers held him.

On the evening of February 19, about 200 people took part in the protest. It was first reported around 8 PM. About 75 police officers wore special gear to control the crowd. They blocked off the area. One officer was hurt. The crowd started to get smaller around 11:30 PM.

Police set up a control center where East Buffalo Avenue and 18th Street meet. A local grocery store was broken into and items were taken. Homes where white residents lived were also affected. A McDonald's in the area was hit by rocks and broken into. As the situation grew more intense, the Ku Klux Klan became involved for a short time. This protest lasted for three days.

The April 1987 Events

Another protest began on April 6. This happened after an African American man, Otis Bernard Miller, died. His death occurred after he had an encounter with the police on April 5.

This second protest was much smaller than the one that started after Hair's death. Police blocked off 11 city blocks. The disturbance lasted for a total of five hours. Five people were arrested during this time.

What Happened After the Protests?

The events of the 1987 Tampa riots had many effects.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) looked into the police department's actions several times. The mayor of Tampa tried to have more Black officers join the police force. Tampa's police chief, Donald Newberger, left his job on May 5. He mentioned six recent police shootings. These involved one Hispanic man and five Black men. Newberger said he did not want to serve any longer. He stated he did not want to do anything that would harm the people in the department.

Assistant police chief Austin McLane took over as acting police chief. He had been in that position for two years. McLane officially became the police chief on May 26. He worked to make community relations better, especially with Black residents. McLane later retired in 2011 after working in other police roles. He passed away on January 15, 2021, at age 81.

The city also started a home loan program for people with low incomes. A new rule about racial slurs was also put in place. Melvin Hair was buried in the same cemetery as Martin Chambers. Chambers' death had also led to protests in 1967.

Changes After the Events

After Melvin Hair's death, the police were no longer allowed to use chokeholds. One officer, David D’Agresta, was suspended without pay. He was charged in connection with the event. However, a jury found him not guilty.

The two officers involved in Otis Miller's case were cleared of any wrongdoing on April 27, 1987. An assistant prosecutor said Miller's death was due to a heart problem. One of the officers, Officer Johnson, quit his job on May 6. He said he and his wife wanted to move back to St. Louis, Missouri. A city memo said Johnson's actions were not illegal or racist. However, they did go against Tampa's policy. This policy limited using deadly force only when a suspect was a threat of serious injury.

See also

• 1967 Tampa riots