Sprinter Fred Kerley was arrested after an altercation with South Florida police that ended with the two-time Olympic medalist being hit with a stun gun, officials said Friday.
Kerley, 29, was speaking to officers at 11:22 p.m. Thursday near 100 9th St. “about his vehicle parked nearby” when his “behavior became increasingly aggressive,” according to a police statement. from Miami Beach.
After Kerley was “asked to leave the area,” he refused and “assumed a fighting stance,” police continued. When officers attempted to arrest Kerley, he allegedly resisted and “a stun gun that fired darts was effectively used,” police said.
In a seven-and-a-half-minute body camera video released by police, Kerley in a gray hoodie is seen standing next to a police vehicle talking to officers. It is not clear what is being said since there is no audio in the first 30 seconds of the video.
The person carrying the camera approaches Kerley and places his hand on Kerley’s chest and then on his wrist, initiating the fight.
At least four officers appear to struggle with Kerley as they try to restrain him, the footage shows.
Finally, one of the officers pulls out a stun gun with a distinctive yellow handle and fires it into Kerley’s back, knocking him down instantly.
“I can’t resist, I have handcuffs!” Kerley said.
Throughout the video, he accused the officers of irregularities and told them they would go to jail.
Kerley did not obviously or immediately identify himself as an Olympic sprinter. But at one point he told the arresting officers: “Bro, get off my legs, I need my fucking legs.”
Kerley was arrested on suspicion of assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer, according to jail records.
He was being held on charges of burglary and domestic battery by strangulation, dating back six months, according to jail records and his attorney. The circumstances behind those charges were not immediately clear Friday night.
Yale Stanford’s attorney, in a statement, described the images as “obscene.”
“It just goes to show that no matter how hard you work, how many medals you win for your country and how many people around the world you inspire, in Miami Beach, Mr. Kerley was treated like millions of African-Americans, men and women, across the country. ..with a lack of humanity, compassion or respect,” the statement said. “It is important that our community is aware of these actions by police so that we can ensure that this type of behavior is prevented in the future.”
Kerley took silver in the 100-meter dash at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and then bronze in that same race last summer in Paris.
Kerley has a hearing scheduled for Saturday morning, Stanford said.
