MIAMI (WSVN) - An investigation is underway after body camera video has been released of a rough arrest where an officer covered the lens of his camera.
In a May 2017 video, several Miami police officers chased an alleged robbery suspect until he fell to the ground.
Once down on the ground, an officer appears to kick the man and continue to rough the suspect up.
Seconds later, the body camera capturing the incident was covered up on multiple occasions.
Police said Reyvon Boyd was wanted in connection to a series of robberies in the area.
City of Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina reacted to the body camera video, Tuesday.
“I saw the video. I took a look at it today,” he said, “kind of scrutinized it myself today. There are elements of that video that I certainly would like to look at further. What would help tremendously, of course, is getting the cooperation and being able to take a statement from the subject involved.”
Colina told 7News that the officer who covered up the camera resigned during the termination process.
The officer seen making the kick was relieved of duty. He has since been allowed to return to the force.
Whether the kick actually made contact with Boyd is unclear.
“It’s difficult to tell if there’s actual contact made because at least the video that I’m looking at, there’s a dark bar. It’s just difficult to discern completely,” Colina said.
According to Colina, the officer said he was simply kicking an object out of Boyd’s hand.
The attorney for the Boyd, however, has another explanation.
“That object seemed to have been my client’s skull,” defense attorney Andrew Rier said.
Colina said Boyd and his attorney never came forward to give a statement, but if they do, the department is willing to look at it further.
“We did not cooperate with the investigation because any statement — as stated to the Herald — made by Reyvon, any statement made by me but more importantly by Mr. Boyd, cause he was a witness to the case, could be used against him.”
Boyd’s mother also reacted to the body camera video.
“As a mother, I’m hurt and I’m [at a] loss for words that these officers are supposed to serve and protect, and they misused their badges,” Carla Boyd said. “They did this to my son with a body camera on, so imagine what would happen to him without one.”
The police chief said they will look at every aspect of the video as a part of their investigation.
“A lot of times people think, ‘Well, listen, I see what I saw and something should be done immediately,’ but we know from experience that it doesn’t work that way,” Colina said. “It doesn’t work like that in criminal cases, and it doesn’t work like that in internal cases. At the end of the day, we need to get it right, and if that means it takes us a little bit longer or we gotta scrutinize further, then that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Boyd’s attorney said they are willing to cooperate and provide a statement to investigators.
As for Boyd, he is currently serving a 44-month sentence and is set to be released next year.
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