A video has surfaced of what apparently reveals police brutality against a Miami man. The city’s police department is investigating the events surrounding an Aug. 6 arrest in Liberty Square, where a black officer is captured seemingly punching a handcuffed suspect in the back of his patrol vehicle. The officer has since been relieved of duty, according to Major Delrish Moss.
“We have seen the video and we have launched a full internal affairs investigation into the matter,” he said in a statement. “We take that responsibility very seriously. The officer involved in the incident will be relieved of duty as we investigate.”
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The woman who captured the video told Miami news station Local 10 that the officer attempted to snatch her phone while she she recorded. He also reportedly instructed her to “delete the video,” subsequently threatening to take her to jail. Following the release of the footage, Lieutenant Javier Ortiz, president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police expressed confidence that the investigation would prove his officer was fulfilling his duty.
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“As everyone is aware, social media has placed a very negative tone on law enforcement nationwide,” Ortiz said in a statement. “While the video may seem disturbing to some, the FOP is convinced that when everything is analyzed within the totality of the circumstances, it will be concluded that the police officer was doing what he is supposed to be doing — protecting our community.”
Watch the footage of the Miami police officer below: