WARNING: The following story contains videos with harsh language. Please read at your own discretion.
Carnival attendees swarmed a Ferris wheel operator in Opa Locka, Fla., on Saturday night after the man got into a shoving match with a mother of two in front of a crowd, footage shows.
Videos from the scene show a woman with two kids and a grey-shirted ride operator at the centre of the melee. The two exchange angry words and the operator can be seen abruptly shoving the woman, causing her to stumble back and bump one of her kids to the ground.
The woman and the operator start exchanging blows and the crowd soon rushes in to attack the operator. It’s unclear what happens to him immediately after the beating.
The melee broke out after the operator argued with another ride attendant and appeared to resume the ride while a child was trying to get on, a longer video from the scene shows. Many on the ride and in the crowd were already complaining about the operator before the fight broke out.
The ride was stopped after the fight and several off-duty police officers were eventually called to the scene, Local 10 reports. Detectives could not find the alleged victim immediately, but they eventually tracked her down several hours later.
“Our detectives have interviewed and secured a written statement from the victim and probable cause exists to arrest the carnival employee depicted in the video,” police said in a statement to CBS Miami. “The Opa-Locka Police Department does not tolerate any criminal acts of violence and will prosecute those individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Ferris wheel operator’s identity has not been released.
Authorities did not specify which charges the suspect will face.