Track and field is in the off-season, and the athletes are taking their time off the sport and enjoying various other activities. Similarly, Fred Kerley, who had a successful season, recently made an appearance in Miami. However, not in the same way his fans would like to see him. But what happened? The 2024 Olympic bronze medalist got himself into trouble after getting confronted by a few officers.

One of the officers immediately tased down Kerley when things went south. Indeed, it was a horrific sight for the Olympian, and the locals surrounding the scenes were in utter shock, as one of such incidents occurred with NFL star Tyreek Hill a few months ago. However, after looking at the officer’s bodycam footage, Kerley’s lawyer stepped up and defended his client with proper evidence. Later on, when Hill’s lawyer got a glimpse of the situation, they also made a comparison of the two arrests.

However, what exactly happened? According to the police, the Olympian attempted to reach his car, parked near an active crime scene. Unaware of the situation, Kerley approached two officers who were nearby. However, according to protocol, the officers ordered the sprinter to leave the area, and one of them raised his hand toward Kerley’s chest to create a safe distance between them. But things got ugly when he tried to move the officer’s hand and got into a wrestle with all the active officers on the scene, causing him to get tased later on. The footage also revealed how he was punched many times in his rib cage to subdue him.

As reported by USA Today, during a bond hearing on Friday, Fred Kerley’s attorney, Yale Sanford, stood up, stating, “A complete overuse of any reasonable force by officers.” Indeed, Sanford looked into the body camera and found pointers that could help the Olympian get out of the situation. But what was the judge’s reaction? Did they agree with Kerley’s attorney?

“Sergeant, this could have been handled a different way,” said Mindy Glazer, who was the judge, and continued, stating, “And I don’t know if the officers in Miami Beach are busy handling a lot of complicated crime scenes there, but I have a gentleman who’s never been arrested, there’s no prior arrests, who his attorney’s saying has competed in the Olympics, who is obviously a professional athlete and it’s unfortunate that he got to this position.” The judge responded sharply to the arrest. She looked into Kerley’s history and found him clean. Therefore, the arrest appears to have been overstated by the officers.

Glazer also acknowledged the athletic career of Kerley and was disappointed with the way things were carried out. However, there’s a twist, at the hearing, the judge didn’t go through the officer’s bodycam footage that included their confrontation with the Olympic sprinter. Upon viewing the video, Kerley faced charges of domestic battery and robbery in an unrelated Miami-Dade County case. In his response, one of his attorneys, Richard L. Cooper, called it “a falsified accusation.” Kerley’s lawyers aren’t the only ones who defended the athlete, Tyreek Hill’s lawyer also got involved.

Tyreek Hill’s attorney compared Fred Kerley’s situation to his client

Tyreek Hill, a Miami Dolphins wide receiver, was pulled over in September for speeding on his way to Hard Rock Stadium for a game. However, things got heated between them when he was forcefully taken out of his car and pinned down to the ground by the Miami-Dade police officers. Later on, the NFL star agreed that he was speeding, but he also claimed that the whole situation could’ve been handled differently by law enforcement. 

Similarly, looking at Fred Kerley’s arrest, attorney Julius Collins gave his verdict, stating, “The similarities between Mr. Hill and Mr. Kerley’s unfortunate interactions with law enforcement is the obvious: The same treatment of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement and an escalation by law enforcement.” So what did he try to convey? Law enforcement must de-escalate such situations before they get ugly, but they failed in both cases. Indeed, there are two sides to the boat, and Kerley’s attorneys are fighting to prove him innocent.