MIAMI (AP) – Three Miami Beach police officers are now on trial for the gross arrest of two black men at a South Beach hotel, prosecutors said Thursday.
Miami-Dade prosecutors originally charged five officers with battery charges in August.
On Thursday, District Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle gave the increased charges for Officer Kevin Perez and Sgt. Jose Perez, who is now charged with a third degree felony, and Officer Javier Serrano, who is now charged with official misconduct, which is a felony third degree acts.
In addition, Serrano and officers Robert Sabater and David Rivas are still facing criminal charges, officials said.
She said the charges will be brought to a judge next week.
“All aspects of this July 26 police incident are being taken very seriously by my prosecutors,” Rundle said in the press release. “The investigation has been and will be as thorough and complete as possible, as our entire community was shocked and offended by what we saw.”
A surveillance video of the incident shows an officer following Dalonta Crudup, 24, into the lobby of the Royal Palm Hotel in South Beach in the early hours of July 26th. The officer orders Crudup to the ground at gunpoint, and Crudup follows. Moments later, more than a dozen other officers run into the lobby and surround Crudup, who can be seen on the floor with his hands behind his back.
Body camera footage shows police officers kicking a handcuffed crudup several times. Prior to this, Fernandez Rundle said the video also showed Khalid Vaughn, 28, taping Crudup’s arrest on a cell phone from about 4 meters away. The footage shows Vaughn backing away at the direction of an officer when Sabater throws Vaughn to the ground and repeatedly beats him.
Prosecutors said Rivas and Serrano also beat Vaughn.
Crudup did not sign a waiver until August 25, allowing prosecutors to review his medical records, so they could not see any documents related to his injuries until September 13. Fernandez Rundle said “a deeper understanding of the actual injuries is necessary”. to file this crime charge. “
Crudup was initially charged with assault and aggravated assault of a police officer. The charges were later reduced and he is now awaiting trial for fleeing the police and reckless driving.
The charges against Vaughn of resisting arrest by force and obstructing a police investigation have been dropped.
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