Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Video shows bikes riding past face-mauling attack

Crime Scene investigator Andres Betancourt photographs a credit card found at the scene belonging to Rudy Eugene, Tuesday, May 29, 2012 in Miami. Authorities were seeking more witnesses Tuesday to help explain what led Eugene, who was naked, to start chewing another naked man's face and whose only response when confronted by police was to growl and keep attacking - even after being shot by police Saturday. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Crime Scene investigator Andres Betancourt photographs a credit card found at the scene belonging to Rudy Eugene, Tuesday, May 29, 2012 in Miami. Authorities were seeking more witnesses Tuesday to help explain what led Eugene, who was naked, to start chewing another naked man's face and whose only response when confronted by police was to growl and keep attacking - even after being shot by police Saturday. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

This combo made with undated photos made available by the Miami-Dade Police Dept. shows Rudy Eugene, 31, left, who police shot and killed as he ate the face of Ronald Poppo, 65, right, during a horrific attack in the shadow of the Miami Herald's headquarters on Saturday, May 26, 2012. Poppo was in critical condition Tuesday, with only his goatee intact on his face, the newspaper reported. (AP Photo/Miami-Dade Police Dept.)

In this image taken from video, Miami police officers stand watch near a naked man, second from right, who was shot dead by a police officer when he refused to stop chewing on the face of the naked man next to him, partially obscured by a railing, on the MacArthur Causeway ramp onto Northeast 13th Street in Miami, Saturday, May 26, 2012. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital. Police say neither man's identity is known. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald) MAGS OUT

A City of Miami police officer stands watch near a naked man, far right, shot dead on the MacArthur Causeway ramp onto Northeast 13th Street in Miami on Saturday May 26, 2012. Another man was taken to a hospital. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Marsha Halper) MAGS OUT

MIAMI (AP) ? Three bicyclists pedaled through the bloody scene where a naked Rudy Eugene attacked a nude homeless man, biting into his face alongside a busy causeway before a police officer fatally shot him, new surveillance video shows.

The nearly 18-minute attack Saturday in the shadow of The Miami Herald headquarters was captured by the building's security cameras. The newspaper posted the uncensored video online late Tuesday.

Police have released few details about what may have led 31-year-old Rudy Eugene to attack the homeless man, Ronald Poppo, 65, on the causeway that connects downtown Miami with Miami Beach.

In the Herald video (http://hrld.us/N9GlGB), a naked Eugene walks west on the sidewalk alongside an off-ramp of the MacArthur Causeway, which connects downtown Miami with Miami Beach.

A bicyclist speeds past Eugene just as he turns to something in the shade, in an area obscured by the tops of palm trees.

After a couple minutes, Eugene rolls Poppo's body into the sun and begins stripping off his pants and pummeling him. Later, the footage shows Eugene pull Poppo farther up the sidewalk. Though the view is partially obstructed by the Metromover tracks above, Eugene appears to hunch over and then lie on top of Poppo.

The footage shows a bicyclist slowly pedaling past the men about halfway through the attack, followed by a car slowly driving on the shoulder of the ramp. Cars regularly pass by the scene from the beginning of the attack, but their view is likely obstructed by a waist-high concrete barrier.

Two more bicyclists cross the scene before a police car drives the wrong way up the ramp nearly 18 minutes into the attack.

An officer gets out of the car and appears to do a double-take at the scene before pulling out his gun. He fatally shot Eugene, apparently within a minute of arriving, but the shooting is obscured from view by the tracks.

One bicyclist, Larry Vega, told Miami television station WSVN that he saw the attack and flagged down the officer.

"The guy was, like, tearing him to pieces with his mouth, so I told him, 'Get off!'" Vega said. "The guy just kept eating the other guy away, like, ripping his skin."

Vega said the officer repeatedly ordered the attacker to get off. Eugene just picked his head up and growled at the officer before continuing to maul his victim, Vega said.

The officer shot Eugene, but he just kept chewing, Vega said. The officer fired again, killing Eugene.

Miami police have not released any 911 calls about the attack. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner declined to provide any information until after the autopsy, which was scheduled for Tuesday. It could be weeks before the results of toxicology tests are available.

Poppo remained hospitalized Wednesday.

"He had his face eaten down to his goatee. The forehead was just bone. No nose, no mouth," said Sgt. Armando Aguilar, president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police.

Associated Press

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