Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III accused police of treating Fred Kerley worse than a “murderer and terrorist” after the Olympic star was shockingly Tasered in Miami.
Police body camera footage emerged of the moment an officer Tasered Kerley, a sprinter on Team USA at the Paris Olympics, before he was arrested in Miami in the early hours. on Friday.
Footage shows officers desperately trying to handcuff Kerley, who appears to be resisting while on the ground. A woman can be heard yelling “stop” several times as the fight takes place.
An officer can then be heard saying “I’m going to stun him” before stepping out and deploying his stun gun that fires darts toward Kerley, who managed to get to his feet.
When the other officers handcuffed him, the woman stood nearby and screamed “he didn’t do anything.”
“Murderers and terrorists are treated better than Fred Kerley in this situation,” Griffin said on social media. “Murderers and terrorists are treated with more grace and patience than Fred Kerley in this situation.”
Body camera footage has emerged of the moment US sprinter Fred Kerley was shot by police with a Taser.
American sprinter Kerley was accused of assaulting a police officer around 4 a.m. Friday.
The arrest of Fred Kerley (left), a sprinter on the US team, has angered Robert Griffin III (right).
“This is a COMPLETE EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE by Miami-Dade police against Fred Kerley.”
WSVN reported earlier Friday that Kerley, who won bronze in the 100-meter dash at last year’s Olympics in Paris, approached an active police scene to talk about his vehicle that was parked nearby.
It is alleged the 29-year-old man became increasingly aggressive and did not move forward when asked to do so by officers.
The Miami-Dad Police Department also came under fire a few months ago for detaining Dolphins star Tyreek Hill, with officers also accused of using excessive force on the wide receiver.
“Look for yourself and you will see that NONE OF THIS WAS NECESSARY,” Griffin continued.
‘Complying with the police is always the best option, but American citizens should not be put in situations where they have to defend themselves from the police. The police are supposed to help us, not harm or intimidate us.’
Kerley, who starred in both seasons of the Netflix track and field documentary series ‘Sprint’ last year, allegedly got into a ‘fighting stance’ and continued to ignore the officers, who called for backup.
Kerley then resisted arrest and had to receive an electric shock as a result, but was then detained without further problems.
He was booked at 4:07 a.m. ET on Friday morning and charged with assault on a police officer. resist an officer without violence or disorderly conduct.
Kerley was expected to appear in bond court Friday afternoon.
Griffin posted a lengthy statement on social media criticizing Miami police for the incident.
Kerley also won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics for Team USA in the 100-meter dash.
‘How do you represent your country and come home with unnecessary beatings like this?’ Being an Olympic athlete does not exempt you from having to be held accountable when you break the rules or the law of the land, but every human being should be exempt from being attacked and electrocuted by four police officers when it is not justified.’
‘It is clear from these images that Fred Kerley was minding his own business and not the aggressor in the situation. It’s clear that the first cop put his hands on Fred for no apparent reason.
“From that point on, the police officer escalated the situation by pushing Fred extremely hard after Fred clearly asked him not to touch him and gently removed his hand from his chest.”
‘The officer then charged Fred and Fred defended himself. In what world is it okay for a police officer to unnecessarily shove a civilian or accuse them of violent intent?
Kerley also won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics for Team USA in the 100-meter dash. He finished behind fellow American Noah Lyles and Jamaican star Kishane Thompson in Paris.
‘Ask yourself where is the audio from before the fight broke out?’ Griffin continued. ‘Was that achieved here? No, it wasn’t. Protect and serve the community, uphold the law fairly, and ensure public safety. Is that what this is? No, it’s not. This is ABUSE OF POWER. Fred Kerley didn’t deserve this. Nobody does.’