MIAMI – Shocking footage from the body camera of a Miami-Dade police officer has drawn a quick reaction from the department's director.
The graphic video was posted on Instagram by award winning local filmmaker Billy Corben.
Judging by the timestamp in the top right corner, the incident happened Wednesday, at Miami International Airport.
It involves a woman that appears to have been slapped by an officer, actions Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez says he does not condone.
The video shows two MDPD officers speaking to a woman at the airport.
In the video, which Local 10 News has learned has been seen throughout the department, a woman begins to confront one of the officers. At one point she comes face to face with him. That’s when the officer is seen quickly stepping back and hitting the woman in the face. The two officers then tackle the woman to the ground and place her into handcuffs.
The video prompted Ramirez to immediately relieve the officer of duty. He then released a statement that read:
“I am shocked and angered by a body camera video that I just saw involving one of our officers. I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officer be relieved of duty. Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in our community and causes my heart to break for our community and the vast majority of our officers who dedicate their lives to serving our county.”
The name of the officer involved has not been released. The Miami-Dade police director said he has asked the state attorney’s office to take part in the investigation.
The identity of the woman in the video has also not been revealed, or why she was arrested and what officers were speaking with her about in the first place.