A chaotic scene unfolded on the busy streets of Miami Beach when a Texas man allegedly chased a woman while swinging an ax and shouting a racial slur. The shocking incident took place on Collins Avenue near 10th Street on a Saturday afternoon, leaving bystanders in fear. Miami Beach Police officers responded quickly after multiple witnesses reported the terrifying chase.
Bodycam footage obtained by 7News captures the tense moments as officers spoke to witnesses and tracked down the suspect. “We actually were the ones that called,” one witness told officers. “We saw him get [the ax] out of the back of the pickup truck up here.”
More: 14-Year-Old Girl Found in Trash Bags Near Highway Weeks After Disappearance
More: Nebraska 21-Year-Old Woman Killed Hours After Filing Protection Order Against Boyfriend
According to investigators, the woman targeted in the attack told officers she saw a man walking and yelling the N-word. When she confronted him and told him to stop, things took a terrifying turn. She said he grabbed an ax from the bed of his truck, started swinging it, and began rushing toward her. “This was a very brazen and dangerous individual,” Miami Beach Police Officer Christopher Bess said.
Witnesses recounted the panic as the suspect, later identified as John Harper of El Lago, Texas, ran through the streets with the ax raised over his shoulder. “He came running down the sidewalk,” one witness recalled. “With it up over his shoulder. When he heard you guys coming, he dropped it and then took off running,” another witness told officers. Thanks to quick police work, Harper didn’t get far. Officers located the discarded ax and within minutes, Miami Beach PD’s ATV unit tracked Harper down and arrested him.
“Luckily, our ATV unit was in the area,” Bess said. The moment officers caught him was captured on bodycam footage. “One subject detained,” an officer confirmed over the radio. As things calmed down, a witness reflected on the bizarre turn of events.
“You know, it’s funny. Somebody just told me, ‘It gets a little crazy at night,’ but I didn’t expect to have somebody wielding an ax coming down the road,” they said. It turns out, this wasn’t Harper’s first run-in with the law. “Hey, you say you’re out on bond for what, an assault?” an officer asked him. “Yeah,” Harper admitted.
More: Ohio 4-year-old Girl Suffers Brain Damage After Cardiac Arrest Days After Flu Diagnosis
More: Florida Father Kills 5-Year-Old Daughter with Precise, Deliberate Shots
Back in January, City of Miami Police arrested Harper for attacking a woman with a forearm-strengthening exercise device in downtown Miami—a violent act caught on cellphone video. But after bonding out, he allegedly escalated, grabbing an even deadlier weapon.
Now, Harper faces a fresh charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, along with previous charges of aggravated battery and other offenses. He remains behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.
For You:
- Single Dad Lured to Fake Date and Murdered by Teen Girl’s Boyfriend
- Ben Affleck talks about Jennifer Lopez in a recent appearance
- “Trump Just Met His Match” Robert Reich Says China, Harvard and Supreme Court Are Ready to Crush His Power Plays
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘not worth the hassle’ anymore, says paparazzo
- Woman Dies After Fake TikTok Surgeon Allegedly Botches Butt Implant Removal in NYC Apartment