MIAMI – The City of Miami Police Chief addressed the arrest of a protester which has generated mounting criticism against his department.
He is releasing video trying to discredit this protester’s claims. That woman said she and others where on the sidewalk and were targeted by his officers.
Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina uploaded a video statement to social media Monday, responding to a loud and chaotic arrest of protesters that was caught on camera last week and went viral.
"That is not true, it is false," he said.
The chief said protesters were arrested for obstructing traffic, providing city camera video to prove it.
“The light is green and you can see where vehicular traffic is now trying to go around these protesters so they don’t strike someone,” Colina said, referring to the video.
In the footage is protester Noura Fahmy, who claimed the arrests were not justified.
"The police came and said 'this is your warning, get off the street' without even the police finishing his statement all of us where off the street," Fahmy said.
Speaking exclusively to Local 10 News shortly after bonding out of jail, Fahmy pointed to cell phone video, showing her and her fellow protesters on the side walk, after she claims they followed police warnings to get off the street.
She believes she was targeted.
Police say only three others were arrested.
"You can clearly watch the video, I was not on the street," she said.
But Chief Colina, who also provided video of Fahmy being arrested two days earlier for the same reason, says his officers are the ones being targeted.
“It shows that this is nothing more than an attempt to turn the public against us and law enforcement and to further incite people to come out and commit acts of lawlessness,” Colina said.