A Miami-Dade police officer has been relieved of his duties after now-viral body camera footage showed him punching an unarmed, 21-year-old woman in the face at Florida’s Miami International Airport on Wednesday.
“I am shocked and angered by a body cam video that i [sic] just saw involving one of our officers. I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officers be relieved of duty,” Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez III said in a Twitter thread on Wednesday night.
Video of the incident was posted to Twitter by documentarian Billy Corben and shows a maskless Anderson approaching Rodriguez in the airport terminal. It’s unclear what caused the dispute.
“You acting like you white when you really Black. Don’t walk up on me, for real. What you want to do?” asks Anderson, who is then suddenly punched in the face by Rodriguez. Other officers then swarm to take down the 21-year-old, who was still standing after the man’s punch.
Anderson was then arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and battery on an officer.
“Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in our community and causes my heart to break for our community and for the vast majority of our officers who dedicate their lives to serving our County,” Ramirez declared in his Wednesday post.
A follow-up email to the Miami New Times, the police director clarified that only Rodriguez was relieved of his duties, rather than all the officers involved in the altercation.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez also commented on the video and declared that there had been an “unnecessary” and “excessive use of force” by officers.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
