Olympian punched by Miami Beach cops had choked wife, ‘fled’ to Paris games, police say
Olympic medalist Fredrick Kerley’s Thursday night scuffle with Miami Beach cops not only saw him tased, punched and thrown in jail, it also prompted Miami-Dade police to file charges in connection with a months-old incident in which he was accused of trying to choke his wife.
A newly released arrest affidavit shows that in May, Miami-Dade police were called to the sprinter’s home in the Goulds area after an argument between Kerley and his wife escalated into what police say could have been a life-and-death situation.
Police allege that Kerley choked his longtime partner twice as she tried to get help.
“The victim stated that she was not able to call for help or even [gasp] for air,” the affidavit reads.
Miami-Dade police, however, did not arrest or charge Kerley immediately after the incident. Instead, they waited nearly eight months to file charges, acting only after Miami Beach Police detained Kerley Thursday night and booked him into a Miami-Dade County jail on charges of disorderly conduct and battery on a law enforcement officer.
Kerley’s attorney, Richard Cooper, told the Miami Herald that the athlete was aware of the domestic violence accusations, but said the charges came as a surprise, as Kerley never had a warrant out for his arrest.
“It’s an old allegation only being brought up because he is in a vulnerable position,” Cooper said.
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The domestic violence allegations
An arrest affidavit filed Thursday night by Miami-Dade Police states that on May 7, the couple, who have three children together, were arguing after Kerley discovered his spouse was talking to a person on Instagram. Things escalated, according to the affidavit, when he began approaching his wife in an “aggressive manner.”
Police say the woman — who is not identified in the report — told Kerley to get back. When he did not, she punched him in the face. He then grabbed and pushed her to the ground, put his arm around her neck and started choking her, according to the affidavit.
As the couple struggled, Kerley released his grip and tried to take her phone from her pants, according to his arrest report. She began screaming for help, which prompted Kerley to choke her again, the report states. Other people in the house rushed in and got Kerley off of her. He snatched her phone and sped off from the home in his car.
He eventually came back to return the phone, police say.
It’s not clear if Kerley and the woman are still married.
Why police waited months to file charges
When Miami-Dade police were investigating the fight, witnesses would not cooperate or provide a statement. They also learned Kerley had “fled” the county, according to Detective Angel Rodriguez of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Rodriguez explained on Saturday that detectives typically attempt to question individuals before filing formal charges or seeking an arrest warrant. However, in this case, he said, they were unable to interview Kerley before he traveled to the Paris Summer Olympic Games.
Because of this, the detective entered a “probable cause” alert into state and national criminal justice databases that would alert authorities if Kerley was put in custody or if his whereabouts were known, so that formal charges could be pursued, Rodriguez said.
However, these databases are limited to North America, meaning Interpol did not receive the notification when Kerley was overseas competing, Rodriguez said.
It is unclear if Olympic officials were aware of the criminal investigation involving Kerley when he joined Team U.S.A. in Paris — where he won a bronze medal in the men’s 100 meter. The Herald reached out to the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee but did not immediately hear back.
Months after the incident, Kerley resurfaced on Miami-Dade Police’s radar Thursday when he was grabbed and punched by Miami Beach police officers after they say he refused to step back from them as they investigated a crime, and pushed an officer and resisted police when they tried to detain him.
An attorney representing Kerley has criticized police, saying they overreacted.
Kerley was ultimately tased and jailed but let out Friday afternoon after a tense bond hearing.
When the Miami-Dade police detective became aware that Kerley was arrested for his scuffle with Miami Beach officers, he officially charged Kerley with domestic battery by strangulation and strong-arm robbery for the altercation in May at his home.
This new court case meant Kerley would remain at the Turner Guildford Knight Correctional Center until he paid a $12,500 bond.
Kerley’s attorney, Cooper, emphasized that there was “never enough” evidence to justify an arrest warrant for the domestic dispute.
This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 10:05 PM.
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