US Olympian Kerley facing charges after clash with Miami Beach police

American Olympic medallist and former world champion sprinter Fred Kerley was tased and then arrested in Miami Beach following a clash on Thursday, the police department said.

Kerley, bronze medallist in the 100m at the Paris Olympics last year and silver medalist in Tokyo, was involved in a scuffle with police and was tased by them after trying to force his way into an active investigation scene.

The 29-year-old had approached the scene in South Beach to ask about his car which was parked nearby the scene and police said he showed an “aggressive demeanor” and ignored orders to back away before a scuffle involving several officers.

A police arrest affidavit said four officers had tried to restrain Kerley and said they had hit him in the head, rib cage and back before using the taser.

The statement said that after being incapacitated by the taser he “continued to resist officers”

Kerley, 100m world champion in 2022, was charged with resisting arrest without violence, battery against an officer and disorderly conduct. 

Police said Kerley was transported to Mount Sinai Medical Center for evaluation and was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

South Florida television station Local 10 WPLG, reported that Kerley appeared in court on Friday afternoon.

His attorney, who was not named, criticized the police’s behavior and said there had been a “total misunderstanding” and that Kerley was a “model citizen in our community. This is nothing more than an overreaction by the police.”

The station said that Miami-Dade judge Mindy Glazer said the incident “could have been handled another way”.

“I have a gentleman who’s never been arrested, there’s no prior arrests, who his attorney’s saying has competed in the Olympics, who is obviously a professional athlete and it’s unfortunate that he got to this position,” she said.