A Miami police officer has been suspended from his position after video surfaced of him kicking a handcuffed suspect in the head.
According to the Miami Herald, the video, which was caught on camera by a witness in the area, showed a man lying on his stomach with his hands over his hand. As one officer approaches the man to handcuff him, officer Mario Figueroa ran to the suspect’s right side and kicked him in the head.
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Almost immediately after the video made its rounds on social media, Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina suspended the officer for his actions, saying the video “depicts a clear violation of policy.” In addition, the Miami-Dade State Attorney ordered an investigation into the matter, which could possibly end in the officer’s prosecution.
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“I was shocked and appalled by what I saw,” the state attorney said of the video.
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As for the suspect, who has been identified as David Vladim Suazo, he was charged with third-degree grand theft, fleeing and eluding a police officer, reckless driving with damage to a property or person, driving with a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting an officer without violence.
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The witness, Lisa Harrell, who caught the incident on camera, detailed what she saw just before 10 a.m. Thursday morning outside of her apartment.
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“He ran around and then he was face-to-face with police,” she said. “He put his hands on his head. The police said lay down. He did. And then the police just came and kicked him.”
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“He was down already. Didn’t have to kick him!!” Harell added on Facebook. “I will not let this go unnoticed.”
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Although officials refused to provide further details on the incident, outside of Figueroa’s paid suspension, they did release the arrest report in connection to the incident.
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In the report, police said it all started when they saw Suazo driving a stolen Jeep Cherokee. When the officers turned on their sirens, they said the suspect sped off, jumped a curb and crashed into a wall before he fled on foot behind the Culmer Apartments. According to police, after several commands to get on the ground, Suazo took “a fighting stance” and cursed at them, which prompted Figueroa to fire his Taser. However, it was ineffective, although it remains unclear if it hit the suspect.
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Eventually, Suazo surrendered, but the report does not make mention of Figueroa’s vicious kick to the suspect’s head.
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