Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have potential applications as energy absorbing materials for shock wave energy mitigation due to their nanoporosity. Here we have examined km/s laser-driven flyer plate impacts on a prototypical MOF, ZIF-8. We observed particle fragmentation and morphological changes in microcrystals of ZIF-8 at lower shock pressures (approximate to 2.5 GPa), and amorphization and structural collapse at higher pressures (approximate to 8 GPa). High-speed emission spectroscopy revealed that 50 ns after flyer plate impacts, an emission pulse was generated by ZIF-8 resulting from chemical bonds that were broken and subsequently reformed. MOFs may prove useful in the dissipation of shock wave energy through large structural changes (free volume collapse and endothermic bond breakage).