Video shows Miami-area police sergeant kicking handcuffed suspect
Authorities released a cellphone video Thursday showing a Miami-Dade police officer kicking a handcuffed suspect, CBS Miami reports. Sgt. Gustavo De Los Rios, 38, was charged with a misdemeanor for the incident, which took place in Miami Lakes on Valentine's Day.
The video, which was made public by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, shows several officers arresting David Brown, then De Los Rios kicking him once, then dropping his knee on Brown's neck.
De Los Rios was relieved of duty with pay at the time.
Brown's parents tell CBS Miami they still want answers.
According to police, officers pulled over a teenager wanted for burglary, and the teen -- Brown -- fought officers who tried to use their Taser.
Eventually, Brown was placed on the ground on his stomach with he hands handcuffed behind his back. That's when, prosecutors say, De Los Rios crossed the line.
"Right after he put the handcuffs on. He's down on the ground. He's not moving. He's under control. The officer just comes and gives him a kick, with what I believe is his right foot, to the left side of his face," State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle said.
The kick didn't seriously injure Brown, but Fernandez-Rundle says that's beside the point. "That is unacceptable and intolerable and that's why we charged him."
Miami Dade Police put out a statement at the time saying De Los Rios' actions "are disappointing and do not reflect our agency's core values. … All allegations of misconduct, involving (by) our personnel, will be vigorously investigated. No one is above the law."
De Los Rios was arrested for domestic abuse in an incident with his ex-wife last year. Court filings show restraining orders. And the Miami Herald reports that, in 2015, De Los Rios abused his power to find out about his ex-wife's travel plans.
Fernandez-Rundle said, "It's so disappointing when a few of these officers just abuse the trust that we have in them, in this way. It affects all of us."
At the time of the incident, CBS Miami reached out to De Los Rios for comment. He hung up. His defense attorney didn't return the station's calls.
