A U.S. Olympic monitor and discipline star is dealing with costs in Miami Seashore after he was tackled by police and tased, bodycam footage exhibits.
Nonetheless, a lawyer for Fred Kerley, 29, mentioned the police “overreacted.”
The footage captured Kerley, sporting a grey hoodie, having an argument with 4 law enforcement officials that escalated right into a bodily confrontation Thursday night time. The officers wrestled him to the bottom earlier than stepping away from him as he was tased within the decrease again.
Police have been concerned in an unrelated investigation on ninth Avenue in Miami Seashore when the monitor star “approached” officers round 11:20 p.m. “with an aggressive demeanor” as a result of concern about his car parked close by, in response to an arrest report obtained by CBS Information.
Kerley argued with police and his girlfriend, who tried to intervene, the report mentioned. Then Kerley bought right into a combat with the cops.
One cop “delivered a number of hammer fists” towards the athlete’s head and elbows. One other reportedly advised Kerley as he lay on the bottom: “Cease resisting!”
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The Olympian then replied: “I’m not resisting, get off of me, bro.” Officers tased him, prompting him to break down onto his abdomen, in response to the report.
Police wrote that Kerley “disrupted the move of pedestrian visitors and brought about a crowd on the closest sidewalk” and “endangered the protection” of the workers and prospects at a close-by restaurant.
He was arrested on costs of battery, resisting an officer with out violence and disorderly conduct, data present.
His lawyer, Richard L. Cooper, issued an announcement to CBS Information. “It’s clear from all accessible 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,” Cooper mentioned.
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Kerley appeared in court docket on Friday, the place a decide didn’t discover possible trigger for the disorderly conduct cost, the community reported.
He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Heart on Friday. The 29-year-old has since been launched on his personal recognizance, data present.
The police stood by their response.
“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 advised CBS Information. “The message could be very clear that whenever you see officers engaged in a scene give them a ways.”
“This might have been prevented,” Bess mentioned. “Our officers tried a number of instances to de-escalate however Mr. Kerley saved speeding our officers.”
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His girlfriend, Cleo Rahman who’s higher often known as Dj Sky Excessive Child, was additionally charged with resisting arrest. The police report said that “her actions took a number of officers to divert their consideration from helping the officers to cope with her.”
Within the bodycam footage, she will be heard yelling: “Cease! Cease! He didn’t do something!”
She appeared to have recorded the incident on her telephone.
“He was not aggressive,” she advised CBS Information in an announcement. “This doesn’t give police the proper to push him and be aggressive for no purpose. He’s an athlete. He’s staff USA. It’s not like he’s taking part in for an additional staff. He’s right here. This was so unlucky.”
Within the aftermath of the athlete’s arrest, police added extra costs of theft/strongarm and home battery towards Kerley, data present. These counts stemmed from a Might 7 incident involving an alleged combat along with his ex-wife; police advised CBS Information they weren’t capable of finding him on the time.
He competed within the Paris video games over the summer time whereas the fees within the alleged home incident have been underneath investigation.
The post-arrest costs resulted “from a falsified accusation that has resurfaced due to this new media consideration from final night time’s wrongful arrest,” Cooper mentioned.
The legal professional continued: “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 costs are false and point out the brutal police state that Miami Seashore has grow to be.”
Kerley received a silver medal within the 100m on the 2020 Olympics and received a bronze medal in the identical race on the 2024 Olympics.
