Miami's Verdict

An acquittal sparks violence

Weary Miamians had seen it happen three times since 1982: a black man is fatally shot by a white police officer, who is later acquitted by an all-white jury. Violence ensues. That script was followed inexorably last week when Luis Alvarez, 24, a Cuban police officer, was acquitted of manslaughter charges in the December 1982 shooting of Nevell Johnson Jr., 20, a Dade County messenger.

As the jury began its deliberations, police blocked off Miami's three mainly black communities with barricades. During the first two nights after the acquittal, random sniping, rock throwing and looting led to the arrest of 350 people.

Alvarez testified that he fired in self-defense when Johnson, who had a .22-cal. handgun tucked under a sweater, made "a sudden move." Prosecutors argued that Alvarez was never in danger and used a revolver with a hair trigger.

Almost as provocative as the verdict to Miami blacks was the speed with which it was reached: two hours, including time for a turkey dinner. Said Betty Harris, who lives near the shooting scene: "A verdict of this kind makes blacks feel they are not equal in any kind of way."