Gino Spocchia, Independent
The police department in Miami-Dade has dismissed two officers after one punched a black woman at Miami International Airport.
The department ordered an investigation into the incident on Wednesday night when a video – dated 1 July – was shared online.
Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez III wrote on Twitter that he was “shocked and angered” at the video, which showed an argument between two masked cops and one black woman.
Mr Ramirez III said on Wednesday that the video had been sourced via a police bodycam at the scene.
“Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in our community and causes my heart to break for our community and for the vast majority of our officers who dedicate their lives to serving our County,” said Mr Ramirez.
“I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officers be relieved of duty,” he added.
The video shows the black woman telling one Miami-Dade officer that he was “acting like you white when you really Black.”
She then approaches him and asks: “What you going to do?”
The officer hits the woman seconds later and pushes her to the floor of what appeared to be the check-in area at Miami’s international airport.
Two officers are seen to intervene, as the third Miami-Dade officer – wearing the bodycam – runs towards them and assists in her arrest.
The officer who threw the punch can be heard telling his colleagues that “she headbutted me”, despite the video suggesting otherwise.
Mr Ramirez added on Wednesday that Miami-Dade County attorney, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, has been asked to assist in the police department’s investigation.
The incident comes amid more than two months of nationwide protests against systemic racism and police violence since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd on 25 May.
