The video quickly gained traction and began to go viral.
In the clip, the officer begins to speak to the teenager who is in the backseat of the police vehicle. The youth is handcuffed, and poses no apparent threat when the officer reaches inside the vehicle and punches him. He then jumps inside the car — and on top of the teen — to continue the assault.
The woman continues to film, and the video goes fuzzy and then ends shortly after she is heard saying, “Don’t touch my phone baby, move.”
As usual, despite the video, the Fraternal Order of Police union is defending the officer’s actions, and issued a statement essentially claiming that law enforcement officers are victims of social media bullying.
“As everyone is aware, social media has placed a very negative tone on law enforcement nationwide,” Lt. Javier Ortiz, president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement.
“While the video may seem disturbing to some, the FOP is convinced that when everything is analyzed within the totality of the circumstances, it will be concluded that the police officer was doing what he is supposed to be doing, protecting our community.”
“We have seen the video and we have launched a full internal affairs investigation into the matter,” the Miami Police Department wrote in a statement regarding the incident. “We take that responsibility very seriously. The officer involved in the incident will be relieved of duty as we investigate.”.
Following his release, the young man in the video told reporters that “the video speaks for itself, I don’t really have nothing to say.”
