A funeral procession for 19-year-old Nigel Beckford in Boynton Beach, Florida, escalated into violent clashes between mourners and law enforcement, according to reports. The incident occurred Saturday, shortly after Beckford, who died in a shooting earlier this month, was laid to rest.
Mourners claimed officers from the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office unfairly attacked them as they were leaving the gravesite. Videos circulating from the scene show individuals in white and purple attire being handcuffed and seated on the sidewalk.
"We're just coming from the graveyard!" one mourner, identified as Beckford's aunt Shanna Burks, could be heard shouting in a video. "Ya'll dead a– wrong! Ya'll dead a– wrong! We just buried my nephew, coming from the graveyard. Have sympathy!"
Deputies stated that the mourners allegedly attempted a street takeover. The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office gang unit intervened, and during the confrontation, officers reportedly fired mace balls at a crowd that was surrounding them. Five men were arrested, and four stolen firearms were recovered.
Burks later posted on Facebook that she sustained bruises and alleged that officers were "snatching kids out of the car, hitting them." She described the event as "so uncalled for" and a demonstration that "law don't give a damn we couldn't even grieve in peace at all yesterday."
The arrested individuals were identified as Malik Lanard McGraw, Dylan Jayantione Stragh, Dwight Jamallantion Stragh, Jaedin Akwuame Stoveall, and Cardell Valcourt. All were later released on bail.
According to booking records, McGraw, Stoveall, and Valcourt faced charges related to traffic violations, including reckless driving and street racing. Dylan Jayantione Stragh and Dwight Jamallantion Stragh were arrested for resisting an officer, battery, and inciting a riot.
Beckford was shot and killed on August 8. A 17-year-old from Boynton Beach was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder with a firearm and discharging a firearm from a vehicle in connection with the shooting. The motive behind the shooting and the relationship between Beckford and the alleged assailant remain unclear.