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

MIAMI BEACH – A observe medalist within the 2020 and 2024 Summer season Olympics was arrested in Miami Seaside after a bodily confrontation with 4 officers Thursday night time, in line 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 youngsters in widespread. Police say they weren’t capable of find him then.

He already was dealing with costs 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 lawyer, Richard L. Cooper mentioned Kerley will likely be launched Saturday. “These new costs are stemming from a falsified accusation that has resurfaced due to this new media consideration from final nights wrongful arrest,” the lawyer mentioned.

“I can say that Mr. Kerley is a record-breaking athlete who has honorably and efficiently represented our nation within the Olympics many occasions. These costs are false and point out the brutal police state that Miami Seaside has grow to be.”

In a follow-up assertion offered 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 known as 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 helping the officers to cope with her,” in line with the arrest report.

Florida’s Halo Legislation, efficient on Wednesday, establishes a 25-foot buffer zone round first responders to guard them throughout lively duties and violations are categorised 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 group USA.”

Rahman advised CBS Miami: “He was not aggressive. This doesn’t give police the best to be push him and be aggressive for no cause. He is an athlete. He’s group USA. It’s not like he’s enjoying for an additional group. He’s right here. This was so unlucky. I need to return dwelling to Los Angeles. I’ve by no means been arrested earlier than or been in bother.”

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 fingers on him and tasered him,” Officer Christopher Bess advised CBS Information Miami. “The message could be very clear that once you see officers engaged in a scene give them a ways.”

At 11:22 p.m., Miami Seaside officers have been concerned in an investigation on the 100 block of Ninth Avenue. Based on 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 automobile 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 scenario, police mentioned.

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

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

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

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

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

“The defendant’s motion disrupted the stream of pedestrian visitors and brought on a crowd on the closest sidewalk,” in line with the police report. “The defendant’s actions additionally endangered the protection of the employees and institution patrons of the close by restaurant and Ocean Drive.”

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

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

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

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

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

Within the 2024 Olympics in Paris, he was third, working 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 observe at Texas A&M. He gained the 400 meters on the NCAA Division I Championships in a world-leading time 44.85 seconds.