Olympic medalist Fred Kerley is facing legal trouble in South Florida after police accused him of assaulting an officer during an incident in Miami Beach.
According to Local10, Kerley, 29, is facing a felony charge and two misdemeanors in Miami-Dade County.
Kerley, a sprinter, won silver for the United States at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and bronze at the 2024 Games in Paris. He has earned six medals at the world championships.
According to an arrest report, officers were investigating an unrelated active police scene when Kerley approached the area and attempted to force his way through to his vehicle, which was parked nearby. Officers had told Kerley to go around the area, but Kerley began to argue with them, which led to a shoving match with police.
Four officers tried to take Kerley into custody while he moved to evade arrest, officials said. After being stunned with the Taser, Kerley was taken to a local hospital and then to the Miami-Dade County jail.
“This seems like a total misunderstanding,”
Kerley was charged with battery, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct.
The Olympic sprinter was born and raised in Texas and now resides in a five-bedroom home on the western edge of the Goulds area of southwest Miami-Dade, according to his arrest report. He appeared at a bond hearing on Friday (Jan 3) afternoon.
Defense attorney Yale Sanford was critical of the police officers at the scene.
“This seems like a total misunderstanding,” Sanford said, according to WPLG TV, the ABC affiliate in Miami. “Mr. Kerley is a record-breaking athlete. He has served in the Olympics for the United States track and field [team]. He is a model citizen in our community. This is nothing more than an overreaction by the police.”
Sanford went on to claim that the incident was “a complete overuse of any reasonable force by officers.”