Miami-Dade police moving to fire officer who hit a woman at Miami International Airport
The Miami-Dade Police Department is beginning the process to terminate an officer who hit a woman and then pushed her on the ground Tuesday night at Miami International Airport.
A day after video of the incident started circulating on social media, Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez said Thursday that due to an administrative investigation, he will be initiating the termination process of the officer who punched the woman, Paris Anderson, 21.
Multiple sources have identified the officer as Antonio Clemente Rodriguez, a Black officer of Puerto Rican heritage stationed at the airport. Ramirez has not publicly identified the officer that he intends to terminate.
“It is my intent to proceed with the termination of the involved officer’s employment with the Miami-Dade Police Department,” Ramirez said on Twitter. “The MDPD holds itself accountable for its actions, and this is just another example of our commitment to do just that.”
UPDATE: As a result of an administrative investigation into the officer’s conduct during this incident; it is my intent to proceed with the termination of the involved officer’s employment with the Miami-Dade Police Department. (1 of 2)...
— Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez III (@MDPD_Director) July 2, 2020
Steadman Stahl, the president of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association, said on Thursday that the union had not heard directly from the police department about the officer’s firing.
“I hope the officer’s rights and due process will not be violated in this proceeding. We have nothing other than the video, and what we are seeing on TV,” Stahl said.
Stahl defended Rodriguez, saying he acted appropriately against Anderson, who was “clearly in his face” and the aggressor.
On Tuesday night, Anderson was said to be “threatening” an American Airlines ticketing agent, according to an arrest report written by Rodriguez.
He says he and another officer, Ricardo Alvarez, saw her “yelling obscenities” and walked her away from the ticket counter.
“I should go over there and punch him in the face,” she allegedly yelled about the ticketing agent.
Rodriguez ordered her to get her stuff and follow him and the other officer. Rodriguez said he took a step back and struck her with an “open hand” when she “aggressively approached” and bumped into him and hit her head on his chin.
The body-camera video became viral after Miami documentary film director and activist Billy Corben posted it Wednesday night.
Protests across the country have erupted over police brutality, sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Floyd died after a Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes; the officer was later charged with murder.
In South Florida, two police officers have been arrested in battery cases since protests began against police brutality.
Ex-Miami Gardens police officer Jordy Martel was charged with battery last week after he put his knee on the neck of a woman and shot her twice with a Taser stun gun, in an incident that happened in January. On Tuesday, Fort Lauderdale Officer Steven Pohorence was charged with battery for shoving a kneeling woman to the ground during a protest.
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