SUNRISE, Fla. – The city of Sunrise police department has placed Sgt. Christopher Pullease, a 21-year-veteran of the department, on administrative leave with pay.
It comes following the release of bodycam video that shows Pullease putting his hands on another officer’s throat.
The female officer seen in the video was trying to intervene and de-escalate a tense situation involving Pullease during an arrest.
Officers were called to a convenience store along Sunset Strip. They say Jean Bernard Similien battered several people and officers were trying to place him in a patrol car.
When she tried to jump in, the video shows her grabbing Pullease by the belt, pulling him backward, and he then turns and grabs her by the neck while pushing her backward toward a patrol car.
Pullease later went back to the squad car slamming the door and yelling at the officer.
The police department released a statement saying, in part, that placing Pullease on administrative leave was “a result of criminal allegations that have been uncovered due to the internal affairs investigation. The Sunrise Police Department is working in conjunction with the Broward State Attorney’s Office during this criminal investigation.”
The department said the criminal allegations are part of an open investigation.
The incident happened on Nov. 19, 2021.