In the video below, you will see an unruly fan at a University of Miami football game. You’ll see her being restrained. You’ll see her swatting at one of the phalanx of police officers literally carrying her out of the stadium. And then you’ll see one of the cops go FULL COP.
https://twitter.com/5thYear/status/927008435803172864
Folks, this is police brutality. This is wrong. I know she hit him. I know she was drunk and obnoxious. But at the exact moment she was freaking LAID OUT by the police officer, she did not pose a threat to the cops or anybody else. She wasn’t compliant, but she also wasn’t dangerous. I can’t imagine how pissed I’d be if I was the officer who was getting slapped by this woman. But cops are not allowed to punch members of the public just because they’re angry.
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The statement from Miami PD is utter bollocks. From the Miami Sun-Sentinal:
In the arrest affidavit, police said [the fan, Bridget Freitas] hit the officer “in the face while attempting to get away, causing the detective to strike Freitas in he face to gain compliance and control.”
“Supervisory personnel are aware of the video and are reviewing the incident to ensure compliance with our policies and procedures,” Miami-Dade police said in a statement issued Sunday.
“Promoting a safe and secure environment during any special event is our primary concern,” police said.
Why do we accept it when these police officers lie?
Bridget Freitas was not “attempting to get away.” She was being held aloft by FOUR goddamn police officers. University of Miami Quarterback Malik Rosier could not “get away” from that kind of containment. Freitas was flailing around drunkenly, not plotting her escape.
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And the officer did not punch her to “gain compliance.” He got hit in the face by an unruly and annoying fan. He had enough and he knocked her out. You might think that’s a natural human reaction, but it is an unacceptable police reaction.
And Miami PD can bite me with this “safe and secure environment” crap. The officer was not protecting the safety of other ‘Canes fans. The officer punched a person who was, at that point, completely defenseless.
The use of force was excessive and unjustified. It doesn’t matter if it looks like she “deserved it.” We DESERVE cops who are properly restrained in their use of force.
Video appears to show cop punching woman after she tried to hit him at Canes-Hokies game [Miami Sun-Sentinal]
Elie Mystal is the Executive Editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at [email protected]. He will resist.