A veteran Miami-Dade police officer is being investigated after video surfaced of him telling a Black man who questioned why he’d been pulled over, “that is the way you guys get killed out right here, man.”
The person, recognized by WTVJ-NBC 6 as Gerardson Nicolas, appears bowled over then says to the officer, “Say that once more. Say what you simply mentioned,” earlier than the video, which is lower than a minute lengthy, ends.
Nicolas was pulled over for not sporting a seat belt final week.
The motorbike cop, who has not been named, was taken off his beat and has been assigned desk responsibility till an investigation by inner affairs is full.
“It’s precisely what the inference is that bothers me,” mentioned Interim Miami-Dade Police Director George Perez, who ordered the investigation.
The alternate between Nicolas and the officer passed off close to the nook of Northeast 159th Road and 18th Avenue, simply earlier than 9 a.m. Wednesday and as Nicolas was on his method to work. The officer asks Nicolas for his license, registration and insurance coverage and says if he doesn’t supply it up, “you’ll not be going to work.”
When Nicolas doesn’t instantly supply up the paperwork, the officer makes the racially charged assertion. Nicolas, whom the Miami Herald couldn’t attain Monday night time, instructed NBC 6 he started recording the encounter when the officer grabbed his automotive’s door deal with.
Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Affiliation, mentioned he’d prefer to see the complete video earlier than passing judgment. He additionally mentioned he doesn’t consider the officer’s assertion is racially charged and that he interprets it to imply the officer is talking concerning the potential hazard of not sporting a seat belt.
“Individuals die from not sporting seat belts day by day,” Stahl mentioned.
Perez mentioned he was made conscious of the incident Thursday after Miami-Dade cyber detectives observed Nicolas had posted about it on his TikTok account and that by Friday, he ordered an inner overview. Perez mentioned he watched 31 minutes of the officer’s Physique Worn Digital camera footage, which started when he ordered Nicolas to drag over.
Nicolas was ticketed for not sporting a seat belt, not having a correct license tag and insurance coverage and for driving with a suspended license. The officer didn’t arrest him and didn’t order his automotive towed. A member of the family later retrieved it, Perez mentioned.
Perez additionally mentioned that Nicolas visited police Monday, spoke with detectives and filed an official grievance. In a quick interview with NBC 6, Nicolas mentioned he was “respectful” of the officer and that the officer’s Physique Worn Digital camera footage will present that. Police had not launched that footage by Monday night.
