MIAMI – A South Florida man has notified the Miami Police Department about his intentions to file a lawsuit after a police officer was cleared of wrongdoing following a 2018 rough arrest that was captured on camera.
The Army veteran, Oscar Riou, 63, said he was roughed up by Officer Ioannys Llanes simply for sitting on a park bench.
He said Llanes threw him to the ground while he was filming at Alonzo Kelly Park and arrested him on a charge of resisting arrest without violence.
The charge was later dropped.
In the recording, Llanes is heard asking Riou if he knew the park was closed, and Riou says, “No.”
During that rough arrest, Riou is heard telling the officer, "You are hurting me."
Riou filed an Internal Affairs complaint, alleging Llanes unlawfully ordered him to leave the park, searched him without his consent and falsely arrested him.
On Thursday, Riou had a very emotional statement.
“It took the blunt 90 percent of the fall of the fall. I was yanked down. I knew he was professional -- I knew because of the way he took me down,” Riou said. “My First Amendment rights were violated! It was violated.”