SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A 16-year-old boy who attended a high school football game at Tropical Park ended up under arrest after being asked to leave, and his father said the way the teen was treated by a police officer was excessive and unwarranted.
Several videos posted to social media captured Miami-Dade Schools Police officers escorting the 16-year-old from Friday night’s game between Coral Reef and Ferguson.
Roberto Leon Brennan pointed to a moment after his son had agreed to leave, when an officer is seen grabbing the teen’s neck and pushing him down the stairs.
“He grabbed my son by the throat, and he literally flung him toward the steps,” said Leon Brennan.
The father said the officer’s actions made him angry.
“I believe it was definitely, definitely over-excessive,” he said.
Leon Brennan said his son went to the game with friends from Ferguson.
“He was there originally cheering them on, but when they started, I guess, losing in the game, he started booing with a bunch of the other kids,” he said.
The heckling and booing prompted someone to report them to Miami-Dade Schools Police officers.
“There were some parents who were not happy with the fact that they were booing the team, and they had the police officers come and intervene,” said Leon Brennan.
Cellphone captured a female officer talking to the teens, then escorting Leon Brennan’s son down the stadium’s steps.
“He was walking out on his own, and then the male cop just out of nowhere comes and grabs him by his throat and just flings him,” said the father.
Leon Brennan’s son was arrested and charged with resisting arrest with violence and interfering with an educational institution.
The concerned parent said he wants the officer to be held accountable.
“I’ve never put my hands on my child; I don’t expect a police officer to do that,” said Leon Brennan. “I want a full investigation thrown into this. My son, he’s a 16-year-old kid, you know? I mean, that kind of emotional distress that this is going to cause for him right now…”
Leon Brennan said the officer shouldn’t even have a badge after all this.
“I watched the videos over and over and over again, and like I said, the videos speak for themselves,” he said. “He’s there to protect our children, and I don’t see how he’s protecting them by doing what he did.”
A spokesperson for Miami-Dade County Public Schools said they are aware of the video and are reviewing this incident.
Leon Brennan’s son is currently on house arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 14.
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