A Miami officer was convicted on Friday (April 15) after he roughhoused a Black woman who had called the police for help, NBC News reports.
In March 2019, police body cameras caught Miami-Dade cop Alejandro Giraldo tackling Dyma Loving, who had contacted authorities after a neighbor pointed a gun at her. Instead of receiving assistance, Loving was violently arrested after a heated exchange with Giraldo.
Giraldo claimed he tackled Loving to stop her from interfering with an investigation.
Andre Rouviere, the cop’s attorney, told Miami jurors, “What you see there isn’t a crime. What you see there is a police officer working the streets, dealing with a situation and maybe his bedside manner was off.”
Rouviere continued, “When he arrested Dyma Loving, it was after warning after warning that she was being disruptive.”
Prosecutor Tim VanderGiesen rebutted in a statement, “Police officers can put their hands on people to effectuate a lawful arrest. VanderGiesen added, “If the arrest is unlawful, they have no more rights than the rest of us. And he sure as heck can’t tackle her to the ground.”
The Miami jury that convicted Giraldo consisted of two Black women, one Hispanic woman, and three Hispanic men, according to NBC News. The officer will now face up to five years behind bars for the unlawful attack.
This comes as nine cops from police agencies across Miami-Dade County have allegedly battered suspects while on duty, the Miami Herald reports.
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