Olympic medalist is tased in Miami Beach, cops say. See the body-cam video of tense arrest
An Olympic medalist was jailed Thursday night after getting tased by Miami Beach police when they claim he argued with officers and tried to force his way through an active scene.
Miami-based Olympic sprinter Fredrick Kerley, 29, who finished on the medal stand in both the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, was arrested following what police reported was a physical altercation in the 100 block of Ninth Street near Ocean Drive.
According to an arrest affidavit, Kerley approached an active police scene around 11:22 p.m. to ask about his car, which was apparently blocked in.
Kerley, according to police, had an “aggressive demeanor” and ignored orders to move onto the sidewalk. Officers say he argued with them and, at one point, tried to force his way through. His girlfriend, identified as Cleo Rahman in the report, tried to pull him away.
Police say the situation escalated when Kerley grabbed an officer’s hand and pushed it away, and then shoulder-checked him after the officer raised his hand to “create space” between them.
“The defendant was extremely aggressive as he was impeding our investigation,” Miami Beach Police spokesman Christopher Bess said. “Our officers made several attempts to de-escalate the situation.. He escalated the situation by battering one of our officers.”
Kerley’s attorney, Richard L. Cooper, described the arrest as brutal and far from how he should have been treated.
“Fred Kerley has inspired millions through his incredible athletic talent, he’s raised millions for charities, and he has brought home silver and bronze medals on behalf of our country, but in Miami Beach, he is just considered another Black man,” Cooper said. “It’s not the first time I’ve seen a law-abiding Black man be brutalized by Miami Beach police.”
Body camera reveals tense arrest
Body-camera footage obtained by the Miami Herald shows an upset Kerley speaking with officers and then turning away from them when another officer approaches and places a hand on his chest. Kerley grabs the officer’s hand, and the officer shoved him.
A scuffle then breaks out, with officers trying to hold down Kerley. The officer wearing the body camera fell to the ground and then rolled away.
The footage then shows several officers pinning Kerley to the ground. The same officer who fell then sent “multiple hammer fists” and elbows toward Kerley’s head and near his rib cage, the affidavit read.
In the background, Rahman can be heard yelling at the officers to stop and that Kerley “didn’t do anything.” At one point, the officers step back, and the one who delivered several punches then shot Kerley with a stun gun — he collapsed.
A bystander then questions the officers’ actions but is told to step back and is slightly pushed away.
While recovering from the taser stun, Kerley was placed in handcuffs. He says, “I’m not resisting; get off of me, bruh,” and called the officers weak. He also tells them to get off his legs and warns that they are “all going to jail.”
The footage ends with Rahman screaming as she is escorted away in handcuffs. Meanwhile, Kerley sits on the ground, watching the turmoil. Court records show Rahman was arrested and charged with resisting officers without violence. Police wrote in her arrest affidavit that she was “yelling and causing a scene trying to pass through the officer barricade.”
After being restrained, Kerley was transported to Mount Sinai Medical Center for evaluation and later booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He has since been released, according to court records.
Kerley was charged with resisting arrest without violence, battery against an officer and disorderly conduct.
New ‘Halo Law’ could’ve seen first use
On Jan. 1, Florida’s new “Halo Law” went into effect, which makes it a jailable offense to stand within 25 feet of a first responder who verbally warns someone to back off. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law in the spring.
READ MORE: Florida’s new law shields responders; critics say it’s aimed at curbing videos of cops
Failing to step back comes with up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. While the circumstances of Kerley’s arrest fit the bill, he did not receive the second-degree misdemeanor charge for disobeying the buffer law.
According to officers, Kerley was obstructing their investigation and was told to step away.
Even though the law was not used, Bess said Kerley’s arrest highlights why it is necessary.
“This situation is a perfect example as to why that law is so important and why it was signed into legislation,” Bess said.
The law’s opponents, including the ACLU’s Florida chapter, believe it could be used to criminalize bystanders’ actions and shield first responders, including officers, from scrutiny.
‘This could have been handled a different way’
In a bond hearing Friday afternoon to decide whether Kerley would be staying in jail, Judge Mindy Glazer had choice words for Kerley and the officers involved in arresting him, WPLG-ABC 10 reported.
Glazer seemingly agreed with a Kerley defense attorney who criticized the officers’ actions.
“It looks like he was beaten up pretty badly by the police, from what I read,” she said.
When a prosecutor tried to explain that Kerley’s stature and demeanor led to the rough arrest, Glazer responded, ““Well, what about what they did to him? Was there any responsibility on behalf of the police? Hopefully, there’s video and body cam that will show what happened.”
A Miami Beach police sergeant was attending the hearing remotely, Channel 10 reported, and defended the officers’ actions by saying Kerley was being “pretty aggressive.” Glazer did not agree.
“Sergeant, this could have been handled a different way,” Glazer said. “And I don’t know if the officers in Miami Beach are busy handling a lot of complicated crime scenes there, but I have a gentleman who’s never been arrested, there’s no prior arrests, who his attorney’s saying has competed in the Olympics, who is obviously a professional athlete and it’s unfortunate that he got to this position.”
She also condemned Kerley’s actions by saying, “I don’t know what happened here, sir. But obviously, your behavior was not — you were not at your best behavior here when dealing with these police officers.”
Glazer ordered he be released from jail.
Bobby Hernandez — president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #8, which represents Miami Beach officers — took issue with Glazer’s comments and order.
In a statement, he said, “I am very disappointed that Judge Mindy Glazer did not look at our officer’s body worn cameras before she acted more like a defense attorney at the bond hearing than an unbiased judge. She must have also not been aware that as she was sympathizing with him and his defense attorney that this’ ‘model citizen’ was wanted for domestic violence involving strangulation and robbery. Defendant Fred Kerley had an opportunity to comply, and he decided to violently resist. Bad decisions lead to bad consequences.”
Kerley is facing new charges for a domestic dispute with his then-wife that involved him strangling her twice in May, an arrest affidavit reads.
READ MORE: Olympic medalist punched by Miami Beach cops allegedly strangled his wife, police say
The sixth-fastest man in history
Kerley has a storied career as a sprinter, aside from his big wins in the Olympics for Team USA.
Hailing from Texas, Kerley has earned six medals at the World Championships. His best time in the 100 meters of 9.76 seconds makes him the sixth-fastest man in history.
In his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, he earned a silver medal in the 100 meters and achieved a personal milestone by breaking the 20-second barrier in the 200-meter semi-finals.
At the Paris 2024 Games, Kerley secured a bronze medal in the 100-meter final, sharing the podium with Noah Lyles.
This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 2:51 PM.
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