Florida Cop Relieved Of Duty After Punching A Black Woman In Miami Airport
Video footage of a police officer punching a Black woman in the face at Miami International Airport is going viral and led to that cop being relieved of his duties.
The assault was filmed on an officer’s body camera and shows a Miami-Dade Police Department officer, who is identified as Black and Puerto Rican, punching the woman on Wednesday evening (July 1).
The woman is seen facing two officers and yelling at one of them prior to being assaulted.
“I really should. You Black, you acting like you’re white but you’re really Black. What’re you gonna do?” the woman says while getting close to the officer.
Suddenly, the cop reaches out quickly and punches her in the face. He then throws his hands on her and brings her to the ground as officers in the background are heard shouting, “Woah, woah!”
It’s not clear what the argument was about or how it started. One law enforcement source, according to the Daily Mail, said the woman was complaining loudly about a missed or delayed flight.
The Miami Herald reports that the officer has been identified as Antonio Clemente Rodriguez.
After the video hit the Internet, Miami Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Ramirez announced an investigation into the incident and ordered for the involved officers to be relieved of duty.
“I am shocked and angered by a body cam video that I just saw involving one of our officers. I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officers be relieved of duty,” he said. “Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in our community and causes my heart to break for our community and for the vast majority of our officers who dedicate their lives to serving our Country. This will not stand, and I assure our community that any officer acting in this vain will be held to account.”
State Attorney Kathy Rundle has also joined the investigation, according to Ramirez.
The other officers involved in the incident and the woman have not been identified publicly.
Watch video of the incident below.
