MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A Miami Beach Police officer has been relieved of duty after he appeared in uniform in a troubling video that was posted on Instagram.
Investigators were made aware of the video that officer William Beeker was posted to the social media platform, Monday night.
“I feel, like, surprised about this, but… well, all right,” one resident reacted.
Miami Beach Police released a statement on the inappropriate video on Monday that read, “On Monday, October 7, the Department was made aware of a video posted to social media. Chief Richard Clements immediately launched an Internal Affairs investigation and placed Officer William Beeker in an administrative capacity while the investigation takes its course.”
Then, on Tuesday, Clements released a new statement announcing the suspension, “After further review of the circumstances surrounding these videos, I have relieved Officer William Beeker of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.”
An @MiamiBeachPD cop is trouble after this surfaced on @instagram, three women in lingerie being walked into #MiamiBeach PD in a fake arrest. Internal Affairs investigation launched and ofcr. “William Beeker is now working in an administrative capacity.”: PD. @wsvn pic.twitter.com/x0BGmedNbI
— Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) October 8, 2019
The video showed Beeker escorting three handcuffed women wearing lingerie to the front doors of the department’s headquarters along Washington Avenue. The women were not being arrested when the video was recorded.
The three adult industry, social media-savy ladies were wearing thongs and bras when they roped in beach cop Beeker, making him a featured character in their Instagram skit.
In a second video posted to one of the women’s Instagram story, Beeker could be seen riding an all-terrain vehicle outside the headquarters.
After the women thank him in the video, Beeker said, “No problem. Enjoy the community I like to protect and serve. Have a good day, ladies.”
“I just think it’s wild that he’s under investigation for something like that,” resident Justin Witherspoon said. “It doesn’t bother me too much as long as it’s a prank, you know. It’s a little skit.”
The videos have been viewed over a million times on social media.
“These videos are highly offensive,” Miami Beach city manager Jimmy L. Morales said in a statement. “It is disgusting that a representative of the Miami Beach Police Department, and the City as a whole, would choose to participate in this distasteful video. He has made a mockery of the men and women of the MBPD who work hard each day to serve and protect our community and fight heinous acts such as human trafficking and other sexual crimes. We will not tolerate such behavior in our community.”
Francia James, a Playboy model known for social media stunts like this video, released a statement regarding the context of Beeker’s actions behind the scenes.
“We were actually finished filming without the officer with just the three of us in the skit,” James said. “After we were leaving the officer pulled up and I said, ‘Can you be in my skit?’ We filmed one more time with him walking behind us. He was very nice and none of us thought anyone was doing anything wrong. It was all harmless. I think it’s a shame he was put on any sort of leave. He didn’t do anything wrong and was very nice to all of us.”
Beeker has been an 11-year veteran of the Miami Beach Police Department.
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