It’s the last thing you’d expect to happen to an Olympic medalist. As the new year settles down, 100m specialist Fred Kerley’s unprecedented turn of events unsettles fans everywhere. On Thursday night, the two-time Olympic medalist was arrested by the police in Miami after an incident outside of a club. While the final verdict on the matter is yet to be, the sprinter’s followers can’t stop clamoring about how things unfolded at South Beach on the second day of 2025.

With a bronze medal in Paris last year and a subsequent appearance on Netflix’s SPRINT season 2, Fred Kerley was naturally on Cloud 9 for months. However, everything came crashing down as Fred Kerley was accused of assaulting an officer earlier this week. However, with bodycam footage being released, fans can’t help but highlight how things could have been handled differently by the cops.

Sheldon, from Fox 7 New, a Miami-based TV journalist shared a video on X on January 3 showing how Fred Kerley was tasered and taken down by the police in Miami’s South Beach on Thursday. Soon after that, the journalist also revealed the charges that were brought against the Olympian for “strong arm robbery, domestic battery by strangulation & domestic violence.” The chaotic police video shows Kerley in a physical altercation with a group of police.

The accompanying chaotic video shows a group of cops huddled over Kerley before tasing the sprinter as he made attempts to stand on his feet. During the frantic physical altercation, Kerley’s rumored girlfriend DJ Sky High Baby, standing nearby the spot, can be heard repeatedly yelling, “STOP! STOP! He didn’t do anything,” all the while as the police proceeded with their measures. Sky High was also charged by the cops for “resisting officer without violence,” and was arrested. Moreover, the recent update also details the charges brought against Fred along with the sum of some of the bonds he will need to stay out of jail.

Naturally, fans weren’t having any of it and instead argued that the police’s actions against the 29-year-old, Fred Kerley, were unjustified. One fan pointed out how Kerley was merely trying to get on his motor vehicle. It was later revealed that the site was a scene for an ongoing investigation, and Kerley walked into the spot without taking the necessary precautions to cooperate with Florida’s Halo Law. In the video, 5 police personnel can be seen ganging up on Fred Kerley, which isn’t sitting well with the fans. “Florida Police Officers have UNLAWFULLY ARRESTED 2x Olympic 100m Medalist Fred Kerley,” fumed the fan, highlighting that Kerley’s actions did not warrant how the police treated the sprinting sensation. Soon, more supportive words started pouring in.

Fans rally behind Fred Kerley

Another fan called the video “disturbing“, noting such confrontation could have been avoided by a more sensitive approach by the police. “Fred Kerley, getting manhandled by police in Miami,” wrote the fan, sharing the bodycam footage, as they underscored how an athlete who has brought numerous laurels to the country should be treated better by the law enforcement officers.

“Free my man,” wrote Citius Mag’s founder, Chris Chavez on X. The 3x World Championships gold medalist has been one of the most celebrated flagbearers of the USA at international meets, and understandably, his fans believe Kerley’s stature should see him being treated with respect by his fellow countrymen. Chavez shared an Instagram clip by DJ Sky High Baby, to highlight how the police sometimes can go overboard with their force. “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 overreactionBaby by the police,” Chavez also shared how Kerley’s attorney has raised the issue against the incident.

The judge presiding over the hearings also spoke similarly. Citing how Kerley doesn’t have any records for prior arrests, Judge Glazer stated, “It’s unfortunate that he got to this position.”

Further citing how getting 5 cops involved against Fred Kerley was a little too much, another fan commented, “The Fred Kerley arrest is ridiculous,” mentioning that this is exactly why one of the USA’s biggest ethnic communities still views police actions to be questionable. The sixth fastest man in history is one of the top sprinters in the world right now, and how he was manhandled by the police has naturally irked many track and field community members. Piping in a similar tone, another fan commented, “What happened to Fred Kerley is disgusting, but sadly not surprising.”

Both Kerley and his girlfriend were released but the tremors of the scenario are still being felt. With fans making suggestions about Kerley exploring areas other than track and field, do you think this could be the final straw? What is your take on the matter? Do you believe things could be taken down a different path? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!