Bodycam footage shows Olympian medalist being tased, arrested in Miami Beach scrum

MIAMI, FL - A two-time medalist who competed in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics was arrested by Miami-Dade Police Department officers in a contentious scrum on Thursday night.

Fred Kerley, 29, loudly yelled at officers and wrestled with the police during the arrest- a scene depicted in body camera footage released by the agency on Friday.

The bronze and silver medalist was tased during the interaction, even appearing to struggle against arrest after law enforcement employed the stunning tool.

Kerley is facing charges of battery of a police officer and resisting a police officer without violence. Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer ruled against establishing probable cause for Kerley's arrest for disturbing the peace in his first Friday court appearance, allowing Kerley bail from jail on his own recognizance. Kerley is also facing new charges of robbery/strongarm and domestic battery, in connection with an incident involving a woman he lived with and shares children with, according to CBS News.

Kerley's attorney, Richard L. Cooper, is describing the new charges as a bid to justify his Friday arrest.

"These new charges are stemming from a falsified accusation that has resurfaced because of this new media attention from last night's wrongful arrest," Cooper said of the charges.
 

"I can say that Mr. Kerley is a record-breaking athlete who has honorably and successfully represented our nation in the Olympics many times. These charges are false and indicate the brutal police state that Miami Beach has become."

Kerley's girlfriend is also facing a criminal charge of resisting an officer without violence charge in connection to her filming of the arrest, with police alleging that Cleo Rahman violated Florida's recently enacted Halo Law. That law bars members of the public from breaching a 25-foot barrier zone around police actively performing their law enforcement duties. Police allege that Rahman forced them to divert from their preexisting duties to attend to her.

Officer Christopher Bess of the Miami-Dade Police Department accused Kerley of attacking police in remarks provided to CBS.
 

"Mr. Kerley battered one of our officers and pushed him in the chest, at which point the officers put their hands on him and tasered him," Bess said of the interaction. "The message is very clear that when you see officers engaged in a scene give them some distance."

Kerley recieved a silver medal for the 100 meter-sprint in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and a bronze in the 2024 Paris Olympics.