A Florida officer has been fired after punching Black woman in viral video.
A Miami-Dade Police officer has been fired after a video of him punching a Black woman started circulating on social media. The officer, who has been identified as Antonio Clemente Rodriguez, was “relieved of duty” yesterday.
The video was shared on Twitter by Billy Corben, the director of Cocaine Cowboys, and an avid critic of police violence.
The name of the woman involved has not been released, nor whether she is facing charges.
The exact date of the incident is not clear. However, it took place at Miami International Airport, and the officers present were all wearing masks while the woman involved was not.
The footage shows a Black woman arguing with a police officer, although only her side of the conversation is clearly heard. In the video, she says, “Don’t walk up on me, for real.” She then tells him, “What you wanna do?”
#BREAKING: @MiamiDadePD cop hits woman at Miami International Airport @iflymia #BecauseMiami pic.twitter.com/KnAVipZKtb
— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) July 2, 2020
She approaches the officer, and says, “You think you white, but you really Black.” At which point, Rodriguez punches her in the face and tackles her to the ground, handcuffing her. In the video, after the punch, the officer is heard saying, “She headbutted me.”
“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 County.” Director Ramirez wrote on Twitter.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez called the incident “appalling” and “unnecessary.” He noted, “this is why I instituted body cameras & MDPD is reviewing all footage.”
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. Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in (1 of 3)…
— Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez III (@MDPD_Director) July 2, 2020
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