Video shows arrest of Olympic sprint medalist Fred Kerley after confrontation with Miami Beach Police

MIAMI BEACH – A monitor medalist within the 2020 and 2024 Summer time Olympics was arrested in Miami Seashore after a bodily confrontation with 4 officers Thursday evening, in keeping with police.

Fred Kerley, 29, of Southwest Miami-Dade County, exchanged phrases with officers, a bodily battle ensued, and he was wrestled to the bottom and subdued with a stun gun, police mentioned. The company launched bodycam video of the incident.

CBS Information Miami has edited the video to take out profanity.

On Friday, police added a possible trigger arrest of theft/strongarm and home battery on Could 7, 2024, stemming from a bodily confrontation with a lady he was married for 3 years and knew for 10 years. They reside along with three kids in widespread. Police say they weren’t capable of find him then.

He already was dealing with expenses of battery of a police officer and resisting an officer with out violence. Throughout his first look on Friday afternoon, Circuit Decide Mindy Glazer did not discover possible trigger for a cost of disorderly conduct/breach of the peace and he was allowed to be launched from jail on his personal recognizance.    

His legal professional, Richard L. Cooper mentioned Kerley shall be launched Saturday. “These new expenses are stemming from a falsified accusation that has resurfaced due to this new media consideration from final nights wrongful arrest,” the legal professional mentioned.

“I can say that Mr. Kerley is a record-breaking athlete who has honorably and efficiently represented our nation within the Olympics many instances. These expenses are false and point out the brutal police state that Miami Seashore has change into.”

In a follow-up assertion supplied to CBS Information, Cooper wrote that, “It’s clear from all out there recordings of the arrest (together with police worn physique digicam) that the police overreacted to an in any other case peaceable interplay with Mr Kerley.”    

Kerley’s girlfriend, Cleo Rahman, 32, a nationwide DJ often called Dj Sky Excessive Child, is also dealing with a cost of resisting an officer with out violence cost as a result of “her actions took a number of officers to divert their consideration from aiding the officers to cope with her,” in keeping with the arrest report.

Florida’s Halo Regulation, efficient on Wednesday, establishes a 25-foot buffer zone round first responders to guard them throughout energetic duties and violations are categorized as second-degree misdemeanors.  

Rahman, a Burbank, Calif., resident, used her cellphone to document what occurred

“What are you doing,” she mentioned within the video. “He’s staff USA.”

Rahman instructed CBS Miami: “He was not aggressive. This doesn’t give police the suitable to be push him and be aggressive for no cause. He is an athlete. He’s staff USA. It isn’t like he’s taking part in for one more staff. He’s right here. This was so unlucky. I wish to return house to Los Angeles. I’ve by no means been arrested earlier than or been in hassle.”

Police dispute her feedback.

“Mr. Kerley battered considered one of our officers and pushed him within the chest, at which level the officers put their palms on him and tasered him,” Officer Christopher Bess instructed CBS Information Miami. “The message may be very clear that once you see officers engaged in a scene give them a long way.”

At 11:22 p.m., Miami Seashore officers have been concerned in an investigation on the 100 block of Ninth Road. In line with the arrest report: “Officers subsequently have been approached by a black Male, sporting a grey hoodie, and black pants with an aggressive demeanor who was involved about his car that was parked within the space of the scene.”

Kerley argued with the officers and his girlfriend, who tried to tug him away from officers to calm the state of affairs, police mentioned.

Regardless of officers’ efforts to de-escalate the state of affairs, he stepped as much as an officer. 

One officer “delivered a number of hammer fists” towards Kerley’s head and elbows, in keeping with the police report.

“Cease resisting!” one officer mentioned to Kerley as he laid on the bottom, in keeping with bodycam footage.

“I am not resisting, get off of me, bro,” Kerley replied.  

One of many officers used a dart-firing stun gun, putting Kerley in the suitable decrease again and he fell on his abdomen, police mentioned.

“The defendant’s motion disrupted the movement of pedestrian visitors and prompted a crowd on the closest sidewalk,” in keeping with the police report. “The defendant’s actions additionally endangered the security of the workers and institution patrons of the close by restaurant and Ocean Drive.”

He was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Middle in Miami after which to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Middle.

“This might have been prevented,” Bess mentioned. “Our officers tried a number of instances to de-escalate however Mr. Kerley saved speeding our officers.” 

The president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Miami criticized the decide for permitting him to be launched from jail.

“I’m very disillusioned that Decide Mindy Glazer didn’t take a look at our officer’s physique worn cameras earlier than she acted extra like a protection legal professional on the bond listening to than an unbiased decide,.” Bobby Hernandez mentioned. “She should have additionally not been conscious that as she was sympathizing with him and his protection legal professional that this ‘mannequin citizen’ was wished for home violence involving strangulation and theft. Defendant Fred Kerly (spelling) had a possibility to conform, and he determined to violently resist. Dangerous choices result in dangerous penalties.”

Within the 2020 Olympics, which happened in 2021 in Tokyo, Kerley completed second within the 100 meters.

Within the 2024 Olympics in Paris, he was third, operating the 100 in 9.81 seconds, simply behind fellow American Noah Lyles and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in a photograph end.

Kerley was born in San Antonio and ran monitor at Texas A&M. He received the 400 meters on the NCAA Division I Championships in a world-leading time 44.85 seconds.