MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – An Olympic medalist is dealing with authorized hassle in South Florida after police accused him of assaulting an officer throughout an incident in Miami Seashore late Thursday night time.
Fred Kerley, a sprinter who received silver on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and bronze on the 2024 Video games in Paris, is dealing with a felony cost and two misdemeanors in Miami-Dade County.
The 29-year-old, whose full identify is Fredrick Kerley, was born and raised in Texas and now resides in a five-bedroom dwelling on the western fringe of the Goulds space of southwest Miami-Dade, based on his arrest report. He confronted a decide Friday afternoon.
In response to police, the actions that landed him in a jail jumpsuit happened simply earlier than 11:25 p.m. within the 100 block of Ninth Avenue on South Seashore.
Police stated Kerley approached a police scene with an “aggressive demeanor (and) was involved about his automobile that was parked within the space of the scene.”
The arrest report states that officers informed Kerley to “go round” the world however he continued to be aggressive, arguing with officers and finally making an attempt to “power” his approach by way of two officers and grabbing the hand of an officer who put it as much as “create area” between him and the athlete.
Authorities stated Kerley pushed an officer, resulting in a wrestle with a number of cops on the bottom. At one level, police stated an officer “delivered a number of hammer fists” to Kerley’s head and elbowed him within the again as he resisted arrest.
The report states that after “a number of diversionary strikes to his rib cage space,” officers used a stun gun on him and have been in a position to get him in handcuffs. Authorities stated regardless of being in handcuffs, Kerley was in a position to take away one of many stun gun probes.
Police arrested him on a felony cost of battery on a legislation enforcement officer and misdemeanor fees of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Embellished athlete seems in courtroom
Kerley appeared in Miami-Dade bond courtroom Friday afternoon.
Throughout a considerably contentious listening to, his legal professional appeared at his aspect, out of body within the courtroom video feed, arguing that there was no possible trigger for a cost of disorderly conduct. He additionally criticized the actions of officers on the scene.
“This looks like a complete misunderstanding,” the legal professional stated. “Mr. Kerley is a record-breaking athlete. He has served within the Olympics for america monitor and area (workforce). He’s a mannequin citizen in our neighborhood. That is nothing greater than an overreaction by the police.”
Miami-Dade Decide Mindy Glazer appeared to agree after studying the arrest report.
“It appears to be like like he was crushed up fairly badly by the police, from what I learn,” she stated.
“That’s our rivalry,” Kerley’s legal professional stated. “This was a state of affairs the place he was inquiring and it become an motion the place a police officer was actively placing his palms in entrance of — no case that I’ve ever been concerned is there, for one particular person, 4 officers wanted. Discharging a taser.”
The legal professional referred to as the incident “a whole overuse of any affordable power by officers” and “a easy misunderstanding from the start that was escalated by the police.”
“And right here we’re, my shopper is sitting, right here, an Olympic athlete, and right here he’s spending the night time in jail and this might have all been prevented if officers have been in a position to have an inexpensive dialog,” the legal professional stated.
The prosecutor responded, “He’s a giant man, so I perceive why officers could have been wanted to get him in custody.”
Prosecutors defined that Kerley pushing an officer justified a cost of battery on a legislation enforcement officer.
“Effectively, what about what they did to him?” Glazer retorted. “Was there any duty on behalf of the police?” She added, “Hopefully there’s video and physique cam that may present what occurred.”
“I don’t know what occurred right here, sir,” Glazer stated to Kerley. “However clearly your conduct was not — you weren’t at your finest conduct right here when coping with these law enforcement officials.”
A Miami Seashore police sergeant then appeared remotely, calling Kerley “fairly aggressive” whereas justifying the costs and officers’ actions. She indicated that there was physique digicam video of the incident.
“Sergeant, this might have been dealt with a distinct approach,” Glazer stated. “And I don’t know if the officers in Miami Seashore are busy dealing with a variety of difficult crime scenes there, however I’ve a gentleman who’s by no means been arrested, there’s no prior arrests, who his legal professional’s saying has competed within the Olympics, who is clearly knowledgeable athlete and it’s unlucky that he bought to this place.”
Glazer, discovering possible trigger for the counts of battery on an officer and resisting arrest — however not disorderly conduct — ordered that Kerley be launched on his personal recognizance.
“Sir, you’re in all probability sensible to remain off Miami Seashore,” Glazer warned Kerley. “Go someplace else to go to dinner, keep away from getting in hassle, as a result of in case you get re-arrested, you’re going to be locked up in jail till your trial.”
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