TV cameras show police beating subdued suspect

A chase through Miami-Dade and Broward counties ends with the suspect being beaten while cameras roll. Three officers have been placed on administrative leave.

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 14, 2000

MIAMI -- Three Miami-Dade police officers were relieved of duty after they were seen on television throwing a suspect to the ground and punching and kicking him in the head Wednesday afternoon after a car chase.

"We saw some actions that concerned us," said Frank Boni, assistant director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, of the incident that began when Jerome McClellion allegedly flashed a gun at an officer. The black sport utility vehicle's license number matched a partial number from a vehicle believed to have been used in a robbery, Boni said.

During the chase, McClellion allegedly fired a shot at a pursuing police car, piercing its windshield. No officers were hit by the bullet, but one officer was struck by the suspect's vehicle and suffered minor injuries. Miami television stations showed live helicopter shots of the SUV speeding down busy streets and through residential neighborhoods. The chase began in Miami-Dade County then headed north into Broward County.

The SUV swerved through traffic, across parking lots and up on sidewalks, narrowly missing several cars and pedestrians before its rear end was clipped by another car.

McClellion drove into a residential neighborhood, where he jumped out of the moving SUV and over a fence into a back yard. The vehicle continued down the street, crashing into a front yard.

Television shots showed an officer throwing the suspect face down to the ground and punching him three times in the head.

Another officer then ran up and kicked the suspect three times in the head. Other officers arrived, handcuffed McClellion and led him away. McClellion was taken to Broward County Jail. Officers and deputies from several departments, including Miami-Dade, Hallandale Beach and Broward, participated in the chase.

Boni said the videotape showed there was enough force used in subduing McClellion to spark an investigation.

"If action is warranted, we'll take it," Boni said.

Put on administrative leave were Officers Mike Ramirez, Nathan Johnson and Chris Johnson.

Geoff Alpert, a University of South Carolina criminal justice professor, said officers are allowed to use enough force to subdue a suspect, but once that's achieved they can only use enough to keep him under control.

Alpert, who formerly taught at the University of Miami, had not seen the tape of Wednesday's incident and was speaking generally.

"Once he has discontinued struggling, no force can be used," Alpert said.

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