US sprinter and two-time Olympic medalist, Fred Kerley was arrested in South Florida on Thursday night (local time) after a confrontation with police, according to authorities. Miami Beach police released body camera footage showing Kerley arguing with officers on Thursday night before a physical altercation occurred. Officers said that Kerley was wrestled to the floor, struck by an agent, and finally subdued with a Taser.
According to an arrest report, officers were allegedly handling an unrelated police incident when Kerley attempted to approach his near car. Police instructed him to get another way, but Kerley argued, leading to a fight.
Four officers, according to the authorities, attempted to apprehend Kerley while he tried to resist. After being stunned with a Taser, Kerley was taken to a doctor and later transferred to the Miami-Dade County prison.
A simple discussion with Kerley may include de-escalated the circumstance, according to Yale M. Sanford, a lawyer representing Kerley in this week’s imprisonment.
” It’s an overreach and, you can even state, an absurd use of power that could have been avoided”, Sanford was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
Kerley is facing charges of battery, resisting an agent, and disorderly conduct.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kerley won a gold award in the 100 feet, and she also won a bronze medal at the same event in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has even won six awards at the World Athletics Championships.
