According to officials on Friday, sprinter Fred Kerley was taken into custody following a confrontation with South Florida police in which the two-time Olympic champion was struck with a stun gun.
At 11:22 p.m. on Thursday, Kerley, 29, was talking to police near 100 9th St. “about his vehicle parked nearby” when his “demeanor became increasingly aggressive,” Miami Beach police said in a statement.
Kerley was “asked to leave the area,” but he refused and “assumed a fighting stance,” according to the police. Kerley allegedly fought when cops attempted to arrest him, and “a dart-firing stun gun was effectively deployed,” according to the police.
Police revealed a 7-minute body-camera footage showing Kerley standing next to a police car and speaking to cops while wearing a gray sweatshirt. The first 30 seconds of the video are audio-free, making it difficult to understand what is being spoken.
Approaching Kerley, the camera operator touches Kerley’s wrist and then his chest, starting the altercation.
Video shows that Kerley appears to struggle with at least four officers while they attempt to subdue him.
At last, one of the officers draws a stun pistol with a recognizable yellow grip and shoots Kerley in the back, instantly taking him down.
“I’m not resisting, I got handcuffs on!” Kerley stated.
He accused officers of misconduct and threatened to put them in jail throughout the video.
It was not immediately clear to Kerley that he was an Olympic sprinter. To arresting authorities, however, he once said, “Bro, get off my legs, I need my f—ing legs.”
According to jail records, Kerley was arrested on charges of resisting an officer, disorderly conduct, and battery of a police officer.
According to his lawyer and jail records, he was being held on allegations of strangulation domestic violence and strong-arm robbery that date back six months. On Friday night, it was unclear what exactly led to the allegations.
In a statement, Yale Stanford, the lawyer, called the video “obscene.”
“It just goes to show that no matter how hard you work, how many medals you earn for your country, and how many people across the globe you inspire, in Miami Beach, Mr. Kerley was treated like millions of African-Americans, male and female, around the country with a lack of humanity, compassion, or respect,” the statement continued. “In order to ensure that this kind of behavior is not repeated in the future, it is critical that our community is informed of these police activities.
During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Kerley placed second in the 100-meter sprint. This past summer, she placed third in the same race in Paris.
According to Stanford, Kerley’s hearing is set for Saturday morning.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!