Why was a tank driving around a Miami-Dade neighborhood?

PALMETTO BAY, Fla. – Video on social media showed what looked like a military tank driving around a Palmetto Bay neighborhood on Sunday.

Commenters on the Cutler Bay Social Facebook page wondered if the tank was part of a military operation.

But a spokesperson with the Florida National Guard said the tank was not part of its fleet, and military experts said the tank appeared to be a British combat vehicle.

The matter was cleared up by Miami-Dade Police, which issued a statement that read:

“Miami-Dade Police Department, Village of Palmetto Bay units received reports of a military-style vehicle observed on the Village roads.  They looked into the matter and confirmed that the vehicle belongs to a private collector of decommissioned, surplus military items.  The vehicle in question is demilitarized and unarmed.  It was purchased as a collector item and was being delivered to the owner at the time that the video circulating social media was taken.”

On Monday afternoon, a code compliance officer with the city of Palmetto Bay was called to a nearby home after complaints about the tank. The tank reportedly was part of a resident’s private collection.

Miami-Dade police officers were also seen leaving the home.

Neighbors were openly unhappy about the military relic in their close quarters.

“It’s a poor choice of timing to have military equipment like that in a residential neighborhood,” resident James Woodard said. “Obviously they have more money than sense.”