Miami police have spoken out once and for all to declare there was officially no extraterrestrial activity during an incident on New Year’s Day that appeared to show an alien-type creature floating around.
Video widely shared by conspiracy theorists on social media claimed a 10-foot-tall silhouette walking near cop cars was from another planet, with one user claiming a ‘glowing figure’ was walking through smoke during the chaotic scene.
It came after roughly 50 teenagers started a riot outside Bayside Marketplace and caused a panic by setting off loud fireworks.
Every available patrol car in the city was summoned to the scene – but over the weekend Miami police officer Rafael Horta put to rest any conspiracy theories with a partly factual and partly tongue-in-cheek message.
Miami police have spoken out once and for all to declare there was no extraterrestrial activity during an incident on New Year’s Day that appeared to show an alien creature floating around
Miami police have now made clear that the footage was simply a person walking casting a shadow on a neighboring building – and not an alien… or was it?
Eerie footage captured of Miami police’s response to an incident on New Year’s Day appeared to show an alien-type creature floating around
Every single available patrol car in the city was summoned to Bayside Marketplace last Monday
The police response came after roughly 50 teenagers started a riot outside Bayside Marketplace and caused a panic by setting off loud fireworks
‘There is now video going viral of 8 to 10 foot aliens working around. It’s actually just a person walking with a shadow,’ Horta said in a posting to Instagram.
‘I can confirm to you that there are no aliens in Bayside Marketplace – at the moment.’
Just as the office finished speaking, a cartoon alien appeared over his right shoulder, gently mocking the conspiracy theorists.
The footage shows multiple police cars lined up outside a mall with their emergency lights on Monday night.
In one clip, what appears to be a large gray figure is seen walking close to an entrance that sent rumors flying among conspiracy theorists.
It was widely shared by conspiracy theorists on social media who claimed a 10-foot-tall silhouette walking near cop cars was from another planet
The summoning of every available police car only served to drive the conspiracy theories
‘Miami’s Bayside Marketplace video shows something weird: a glowing figure walking through smoke during a wild scene,’ one user wrote.
Even last week, Miami police were quick to dispel the rumors and explain how it was simply a shadow, but the idea of aliens was simply too good a story to dismiss outright.
‘What is seen on this clip is the shadow of someone walking. If you look at the bottom of the shadow, you can see the person. No creature,’ a spokesman said.
The police response at the mall was sparked by a large group of unruly teenagers who were causing trouble about five miles from South Beach.
But the Miami Police Department has revealed the strange figure in the video was actually just a shadow of someone walking
Social media erupted with thousands of comments about what they described as ‘Miami Mall Aliens’
They were setting off fireworks, and it led to a public panic as some thought there was a shooting going on at the time. Four teenagers were later arrested over the incident.
Social media erupted with thousands of comments about what they described as ‘Miami Mall Aliens.’
Some even claimed the police were responding to reports about aliens and not the teenagers.
‘[Ten-foot] Aliens/Creatures (caught on camera?) fired at inside and outside Miami Mall, media silent, cops are covering it up saying kids were fighting with fireworks, yet all these cop cars, & air traffic stopped that night except for black military choppers…and no media coverage,’ a user wrote.
Miami Police Department’s Public Information Officer Michael Vega insisted it had nothing to do with extra-terrestrial creatures.
‘There were no aliens,’ he said. ‘No airports were closed. Nothing is being withheld from the public. LOL.’