Miami cop arrested on domestic violence charge; second officer arrested in past week

A Miami police officer was arrested and charged Sunday with battery after authorities say he was involved in a domestic violence incident.

Michael J. Bello “has been relieved of duty [with pay] pending Internal Affairs Investigation” after officers responded to a call involving the 27-year-old on Friday, according to Miami police spokeswoman Kiara Delva.

“This arrest illustrates the department’s commitment to enforcing the law without fear or favor and we encourage all victims of domestic violence to call us,” said Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo in a statement released by Delva.

Bello is now the second Miami police officer to be arrested within the last week.

On May 11, officer Ashley Hunter was relieved of duty with pay during an internal affairs investigation — the day after she was apprehended on DUI charges following a traffic crash. She was arrested by Miami-Dade police Tuesday afternoon on charges of DUI and DUI with damage to property or person.

No additional information was available Sunday evening.

This story was originally published May 16, 2021 at 8:00 PM.

Monique O. Madan

Miami Herald

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Monique O. Madan covers immigration and enterprise; she previously covered breaking news and local government. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald and The Dallas Morning News. In 2019 she was a Reveal Fellow at the Center for Investigative Reporting. She’s a graduate of Harvard University, Emerson College and The Honors College at Miami Dade College. A note to tipsters: If you want to send Monique confidential information, her email and mailbox are open. You can find all her stories here: moniqueomadan.com. You can also direct message her on social media and she’ll provide encrypted Signal details. Support my work with a digital subscription