Olympic track medalist Fred Kerley is tased in Miami Beach, cops say

MIAMI — An Olympic medalist was jailed Thursday night after getting tased by Miami Beach police when they claim he argued with officers and tried to force his way through an active scene.

Miami-based Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley, 29, who finished on the medal stand in both the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, was arrested following what police reported was a physical altercation in the 100 block of Ninth Street near Ocean Drive.

According to an arrest affidavit, Kerley approached an active police scene around 11:22 p.m. to ask about his car, which was apparently blocked in.

Kerley, according to police, had an “aggressive demeanor” and ignored orders to move onto the sidewalk. Officers say he argued with them and, at one point, tried to force his way through. His girlfriend, identified as Cleo Rahman in the report, tried to pull him away.

Police say the situation escalated when Kerley grabbed an officer’s hand and pushed it away, and then shoulder-checked him after the officer raised his hand to “create space” between them.

“The defendant was extremely aggressive as he was impeding our investigation,” Miami Beach Police spokesman Christopher Bess said. “Our officers made several attempts to de-escalate the situation.. He escalated the situation by battering one of our officers.”

Kerley’s attorney, Richard L. Cooper, described the arrest as brutal and far from how he should have been treated.

“Fred Kerley has inspired millions through his incredible athletic talent, he’s raised millions for charities, and he has brought home silver and bronze medals on behalf of our country, but in Miami Beach, he is just considered another Black man,” Cooper said. “It’s not the first time I’ve seen a law-abiding Black man be brutalized by Miami Beach police.”

Body camera reveals tense arrest

Body-camera footage obtained by the Miami Herald shows an upset Kerley speaking with officers and then turning away from them when another officer approaches and places a hand on his chest. Kerley grabs the officer’s hand, and the officer shoved him.

A scuffle then breaks out, with officers trying to hold down Kerley. The officer wearing the body camera fell to the ground and then rolled away.

The footage then shows several officers pinning Kerley to the ground. The same officer who fell then sent “multiple hammer fists” and elbows toward Kerley’s head and near his rib cage, the affidavit read.

In the background, Rahman can be heard yelling at the officers to stop and that Kerley “didn’t do anything.” At one point, the officers step back, and the one who delivered several punches then shot Kerley with a stun gun — he collapsed.

A bystander then questions the officers’ actions but is told to step back and is slightly pushed away.

While recovering from the taser stun, Kerley was placed in handcuffs. He says, “I’m not resisting; get off of me, bruh,” and called the officers weak. He also tells them to get off his legs and warns that they are “all going to jail.”

The footage ends with Rahman screaming as she is escorted away in handcuffs. Meanwhile, Kerley sits on the ground, watching the turmoil. Court records show Rahman was arrested and charged with resisting officers without violence. Police wrote in her arrest affidavit that she was “yelling and causing a scene trying to pass through the officer barricade.”

After being restrained, Kerley was transported to Mount Sinai Medical Center for evaluation and later booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He has since been released, according to court records.

Kerley was charged with resisting arrest without violence, battery against an officer and disorderly conduct.

New ‘Halo Law’ could’ve seen first use

On Jan. 1, Florida’s new “Halo Law” went into effect, which makes it a jailable offense to stand within 25 feet of a first responder who verbally warns someone to back off. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law in the spring.

Failing to step back comes with up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. While the circumstances of Kerley’s arrest fit the bill, he did not receive the second-degree misdemeanor charge for disobeying the buffer law.

According to officers, Kerley was obstructing their investigation and was told to step away.

Even though the law was not used, Bess said Kerley’s arrest highlights why it is necessary.

“This situation is a perfect example as to why that law is so important and why it was signed into legislation,” Bess said.

The law’s opponents, including the ACLU’s Florida chapter, believe it could be used to criminalize bystanders’ actions and shield first responders, including officers, from scrutiny.

The sixth-fastest man in history

Kerley has a storied career as a sprinter, aside from his big wins in the Olympics for Team USA.

Hailing from Texas, Kerley has earned six medals at the World Championships. His best time in the 100 meters of 9.76 seconds makes him the sixth-fastest man in history.

In his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, he earned a silver medal in the 100 meters and achieved a personal milestone by breaking the 20-second barrier in the 200-meter semi-finals.

At the Paris 2024 Games, Kerley secured a bronze medal in the 100-meter final, sharing the podium with Noah Lyles.