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A Miami-Dade County police officer is under investigation after he was filmed saying to a black driver during a routine traffic stop, “That’s how they kill you.”
Gerardson Nicolas was on his way to work last week when he was arrested in North Miami Beach for not wearing a seat belt.
“You will give me your driver’s license. Give me your driver’s license, registration and insurance. If not, you will not go to work today. Something simple, man,” the officer told him on June 15. , according to a video recorded by Nicolas and published on TikTok.
As Nicolas searched for his mother’s license plate and pulled out his driver’s license, the officer added, “That’s how they kill you here, man.”
While it is unclear whether the white officer’s comment posed a threat or a warning about seat belt safety, the Miami-Dade Police Department announced Monday that the motorcycle officer is being investigated after the incident video went viral.
“The officer’s patrol duty was shifted to administrative duties pending a full investigation into the officer’s traffic stop, comments and conduct,” the department said in a statement. press. “Rest assured that we are committed to the transparency and trust of the community and that we will address all matters of public interest in a fair, equitable manner and in accordance with applicable laws.”
The officer has not yet been publicly identified and the department withholds additional comments until the investigation is completed. George Perez, interim director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, told the Miami Herald that what the officer was suggesting was what prompted him to order the investigation.
“It’s exactly what inference bothers me,” Perez said.
Nicolas did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Wednesday. He told WFLA this week that the exchange has left him baffled. One of the captions accompanying his TikTok video says being black in America is “a crime, according to Miami Dade police.”
“I was scared, I was scared,” he said. “I didn’t think my life was going to work out.”
More than 1,000 people have been killed by police in the past year, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. While half of those shot by police are white, black Americans are being shot at a disproportionate rate. They make up less than 13 percent of the U.S. population, but are killed by police more than twice as many as white Americans. Hispanic Americans are also being killed by police at a disproportionate rate.
Police shot and killed 1,056 people last year
Post data is based primarily on news accounts, social media posts, and police reports. Analysis of more than five years of data reveals that the number and circumstances of fatalities and the general demographics of the victims have remained relatively constant.
The aftermath of the incidents with police and black Americans has continued this year. Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr was charged this month with second-degree murder for shooting 26-year-old black Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head during a traffic stop at the April. Schurr pleaded not guilty.
The city of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, agreed this week to pay $ 3.25 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Daunte Wright’s family, according to family lawyers. Wright, a 20-year-old unarmed black man, was killed during a traffic stop in 2021 by a police officer who said he mistaken his gun for a Taser.
Minnesota City to Pay $ 3.25 Million for Daunte Wright Police Murder, Lawyers Say
Nicolas admitted to local media that he was not wearing a seat belt when he was stopped at 159 Northeast Street near 18th Avenue in North Miami Beach. As the officer approached the vehicle, Nicolas began recording the encounter on his cell phone.
“I was looking for my things, my license because I couldn’t see my wallet. I was looking for my wallet and this was not my car, it was my mother’s car and I didn’t know where the record was, “Nicolas told WFLA.” He got angry. “
After the officer told Nicolas, “That’s how they kill you,” the driver looked surprised.
“What? Say that again? Say what you just said,” Nicolas said, according to the video.
The officer responded by asking for the man’s registration and insurance again, and tried to close Nicolas’ driver’s door. But Nicolas stopped him from closing the door until he clarified what he meant.
“Because [do] are they killing us? ”Nicolas asked.
The officer then closed the door and pointed a finger at Nicolas’ face.
“Don’t do it again,” the officer said.
As part of his investigation, the Miami-Dade police department said he is investigating more than 30 minutes of the officer’s body camera image.