Bodycam Footage: Miami Beach Police Tase Olympic Sprinter Fred Kerley

Miami Beach police arrested Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley late Thursday night following a heated altercation with law enforcement that escalated into a physical struggle and the use of a stun gun, according to a Miami-Dade County arrest affidavit and newly released bodycam footage.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:22 p.m. near the 100 block of Ninth Street, where Miami Beach police were conducting an active investigation. Kerley, 29, approached officers to inquire about his car, which was parked nearby. Police say the athlete, wearing a gray hoodie and black pants, quickly became argumentative and ignored commands to leave the vicinity.

In the bodycam footage, which is initially muted, Kerley can be seen speaking with officers alongside an unidentified woman who says she's his girlfriend. As Kerley approaches an officer wearing a body camera, the officer backs him up with their hand. Kerley then moves the officer's hand away, prompting another officer to shove him into a third officer behind him. Kerley responds by pushing back, and the confrontation escalates. At this moment, the audio of the footage can be heard for the first time.

What follows is a chaotic tussle. Kerley resists as officers attempt to restrain him, yelling, "Put your hands behind your back!" and "Get the fuck down!"
The unidentified woman can be heard screaming in the background, pleading, "Aye! Stop! Please! Don't! He's an athlete! Please do not mess with him." As the struggle continues, she shouts, "Why y'all hitting him, though? You're punching him!" At one point, Kerley appears to be nearly shirtless as he resists efforts to be subdued.

The situation intensifies as Kerley is brought to the ground, with officers continuing to grapple with him. One officer can be heard saying, "I'm going to tase him," to which a fellow officer replies, "Tase him." The footage shows four officers attempting to restrain Kerley as a crowd gathers, some recording the incident on their phones.

The woman who claims to be Kerley's girlfriend continues to record on her phone while yelling, "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

In the final moments of the struggle, the officer wearing the bodycam steps back and fires a Taser, striking Kerley as he attempts to stand. The stun gun achieves "full neuromuscular incapacitation," according to the affidavit, and Kerley falls to the ground, where officers handcuff him.

The woman claiming to be Kerley's girlfriend has been identified as Cleo Rahman, 32, a DJ known professionally as DJ Sky High Baby, who also faces charges from the incident. According to police, Rahman repeatedly screamed, "That's my boyfriend, that's my boyfriend," while attempting to breach an officer barricade surrounding the scene. Despite being warned to stay back, Rahman reportedly returned multiple times, causing further disruption. Officers say her actions required several of them to divert attention away from restraining Kerley to deal with her.

Notably, Rahman's actions occurred just one day after Florida's new Halo Law went into effect. The legislation establishes a 25-foot buffer zone around first responders during active duties, with violations classified as second-degree misdemeanors.

Kerley's actions are alleged to have disrupted pedestrian traffic and created a scene that alarmed nearby patrons on Ocean Drive.

Kerley was transported to Mount Sinai Medical Center for evaluation before being booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He was later released on his own recognizance, according to the Miami-Dade County Corrections website. The Olympic gold medalist now faces charges of battery on a police officer, resisting arrest without violence, and disorderly conduct.

A Texas native, Kerley won a bronze medal in the 100 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He first earned international acclaim with a silver in the 100 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, following that up with a 100-meter gold at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

He has yet to comment publicly on the incident. A court date has not yet been scheduled.

This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.