Miami Beach cops suspended for rough arrest at hotel expected to face criminal charges
This is a breaking news story that will be updated.
Criminal charges are expected to filed against one or more of the five Miami Beach police officers who were relived of duty last week for the rough arrest of a man who videotaped them in the lobby of a South Beach hotel.
The officers were suspended by Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements after he viewed video of the arrest of Khalid Vaughn 28, at the Royal Palm Hotel July 26. Initially only four officers were suspended. A fifth was relieved of duty late last week. The video has not yet been made public.
None of the suspended have been named. The charges against Vaughn of resisting an arrest with violence and impeding a police investigation were dropped.
Clements said he had “serious concerns” about the level of forced used in the arrest. State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle — whose office is expected to announce the charges Monday afternoon — echoed the chief’s concerns.
The chief said he ordered the start of an Internal Affairs investigation. Vaughn’s arrest report details officers using fists and elbows to the man’s head to subdue him and strikes to the rib cage. The officer’s said the use-of-force was necessary as Vaughn fought being taken into custody.
In an interview with WPLG Channel 10, Vaughn said he was doing nothing more than videotaping the arrest of Dalonta Crudup, 24, who allegedly struck an officer with a motorbike before being chased into the hotel lobby at 1545 Collins Ave.
The incident with Crudup began on 13th Street and Ocean Court, when Crudup allegedly struck a Miami Beach police officer with his motor scooter after he was being investigated for a traffic incident. The officer was hospitalized. Then he nearly hit another officer before abandoning his scooter and running into the hotel, Beach police said.
Crudup was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding police, aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence.
Four officers said on Vaughn’s initial arrest report that they struck him with closed fists and elbows. The officers named in that report are Alvaro Leon, Robert Sabater, Steven Serrano and David Rivas.
