Officer Escalates Conflict then Assaults Woman



Antonio Clemente Rodriguez with Miami-Dade police
Antonio Clemente Rodriguez

WARNING: VIDEO BELOW SHOWS VIOLENCE

Miami-Dade Police Officer Escalates Conflict

At the beginning of this month, Officer Antonio Clemente Rodriguez, who is with the Miami-Dade Police Department, was working at the Miami International airport. While on duty he encountered a woman who was angry because she had missed her flight. The woman was verbally abusive toward the employee working the ticket counter. When speaking to the officers she said, “I should go over there and punch him in the face,” referring to the ticketing agent.

The individual, 21-year old Paris Anderson, is obviously out of line. She is being abusive and disruptive. Everyone knows that airports have really clamped down on security and I have no doubt that they had enough grounds to remove her from the property but that’s not what Officer Rodriguez does. He appears to intentionally escalate the situation by telling Ms. Anderson, multiple times, to go do it, taunting her. You see him motioning toward the clerk and shifting his body as if to give her a clear path to go attack the clerk. At one point, you can clearly hear him say, “Go punch him.” After each invite he makes to her to commit an assault she responds with, “I really should.” 

But it doesn’t stop there. Officer Rodriguez is obviously looking for an excuse to resort to violence. Ms. Anderson keeps moving toward him, taunting him in return and definitely invading his personal space, but he lets her. This isn’t a rush move into his space, it’s a gradual moving forward. Officer Rodriguez does absolutely nothing to stop her progression. At any point he could have taken control of the situation but he chooses not to because he wants an excuse to attack her.

Was It a Headbutt?

Eventually Ms. Anderson is so close that she’s practically touching him. Her head is moving as she is speaking and it appears she looks down. Was there contact? It’s not totally clear but I believe there might have been. Was this really a headbutt? That sure appears to be quite a bit of an exaggeration on the part of Officer Rodriguez. According to Google, Headbutt – an aggressive and forceful thrust with the top of the head into the face or body of another person. 

That is not what I see happen at all but it’s enough for what Officer Rodriguez wants. He resorts to police brutality and vicioulsy slaps Ms. Anderson across the face then takes her into custody. While doing so, he tells the other responding officers that she headbutted him.

Officer Relieved of Duties

According to the Miami Herald,

“Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez, in a series of tweets on Wednesday night, said he has asked Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle to investigate the use of force.

“I am shocked and angered by a body cam video that i just saw involving one of our officers. I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officers be relieved of duty,” Ramirez tweeted.”

But naturally the story doesn’t end there. Apparently the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association (yes, their union), doesn’t feel Officer Rodriguez did anything wrong. They seem to think that everything is okay since it was an open hand slap and not a punch. Not surprisingly, the union president said that Officer Rodriguez acted appropriately because Ms Anderson was “clearly in his face.” They don’t seem to grasp that both individuals could have acted in an unacceptable manner. Or rather, the real reason for their comment is they never want their members to face repercussions for their excessive force.

From the Daily Mail,

“As a result of an administrative investigation into the officer’s conduct during this incident; it is my intent to proceed with the termination of the involved officer’s employment with the Miami-Dade Police Department,’ Alfredo Ramirez III tweeted. 

‘The administrative process to proceed with termination has been initiated. The MDPD holds itself accountable for its actions, and this is just another example of our commitment to do just that.”

That would be Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez III. Let’s hope he follows through with the termination for this excessive use of force.

WARNING: VIDEO SHOWS VIOLENCE

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