Police Chief Miguel Exposito has described his officers as "predators," and now there are calls for his department to be investigated after a string of police-involved shootings. Andrea Castillo claims that even when guns aren't involved, City of Miami Police officers are too quick to jump to undue violence. She claims cops threw her into a metal rail and then pushed her to the ground for no reason.
According to WSVN, Castillo, the mother of a 7-year-old boy, was leaving the Festival Vallenato concert at Bayfront Park February 20 when she got separated from her husband and the rest of her group. While searching for her husband, a police officer began yelling at her to keep going. Castillo took exception to his rude tone.
"When he told me to keep on going, he was kind of being really rude and kind of, like, pushing us out, so I turned around and said, 'Why are you talking to us like that?' He was just cursing and saying, 'Just go,'" she said.
That's when the officer pushed her into a metal rail. Police then handcuffed her, she said, and threw her to the ground.
"Next thing I know they're handcuffing me, and I'm walking with the officer, and I felt like a push, and I just went down. I got slammed into the floor."
She was eventually charged with disorderly conduct, battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest.
Video obtained by WSVN shows portions of Castillo's arrest. It's blurry and dark but definitely shows a woman being pushed into a metal rail and falling after being handcuffed. Video of City of Miami Police roughing-up people in crowds isn't uncommon. An unruly incident in Coconut Grove on Halloween was also caught on camera.
Castillo says she won't sue the department; she simply wants the charges dropped.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
