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State Corrections Officer Miya Bell Arrested on DUI Charges in Miami-Dade

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barbed-wire-black-and-white-black-and-white-690800-300x225State corrections officer Miya Bell of Homestead was arrested last weekend for allegedly driving under the influence while her children were inside her vehicle and resisting arrest.

Bell, 27, is charged with DUI, battery on a law enforcement officer, child abuse, and resisting an officer with and without violence. She is being held on $25,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The press did not name an attorney for her.

According to the arrest affidavit, Miami-Dade police were called to Larry and Penny Thompson Park at around 11:50 p.m. on Saturday night after someone noticed a gray SUV driving recklessly and “crashing into things” in the area of SW 184th Street and 127th Avenue.

The responding officers reported that the driver of the SUV failed to remain in a single lane and switched lanes several times without signaling, nearly causing an accident. The driver eventually pulled over and was identified as Bell, according to the affidavit.

The officer claims Bell’s breath reeked of alcohol when she spoke and that her eyes were bloodshot and watery. He also noticed that Bell’s 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son were sleeping in the back seat of the SUV. When they asked Bell where she was coming from, she reportedly said “the club” with slurred speech.

Bell reportedly refused to submit to a field sobriety test and violently resisted the responding officer when he tried to take her into custody. She refused to walk toward the officer’s patrol car and wrapped her leg around his leg to stop walking. She also allegedly used her feet to resist getting inside the patrol car.

The responding officer also claims that Bell bit him on his right forearm, breaking skin and causing bleeding, and head-butted a second officer on the bridge of his nose. She then tried to repeatedly kick the responding officers and bit one of them on the thigh, causing bruising.

The two officers eventually managed to subdue her and placed her in the back of the patrol car with leg restraints. They were treated for their injuries at a local Miami hospital.

The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified about Bell’s children. During bond court on Monday, the judge admonished Bell for her behavior and ordered her to stay away from her children if she manages to post bail. She also can’t be near guns or any other weapon.

Bell is a correctional officer sergeant at the Dade Correctional Institution in Florida City. The Florida Department of Corrections hired her in October 2015. The department released a statement saying that it is reviewing her charges and will determine appropriate disciplinary action.

South Florida DUI Attorney

If you have been involved in a DUI car crash, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced DUI attorneys.

Source: 3.11.19 State corrections officer arrested on DUI charges in Miami-Dade.pdf

Two Hallandale Beach Cops Suspended After Viral Video Shows Them Beating Suspect

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Daniel-Dunkelberger-245x300Two Hallendale Beach police officers have been placed on administrative leave while internal affairs investigates a video that reportedly shows them striking a suspect with batons.

Officers Richard Allen and Jaime Cerna were recorded arresting James Dunkelberger on May 30 after he purportedly stole a phone and charger from a parked car. Dunkelberger was charged with resisting an officer without violence and burglary.

According to the arrest affidavit, Dunkelberger tried to impede the two officers from arresting him. Cerna reportedly fired his stun gun at Dunkelberger but it was ineffective. The suspect stood up and tried to run from the two officers. Cerna fired his stun gun a second time, but the suspect still refused to comply, according to the affidavit.

Having expended both his stun gun cartridges, Cerna decided to use his baton to stop Dunkelberger. He struck the suspect multiple times on his legs and once Dunkelberger was on the ground, the two officers handcuffed him, the affidavit said.

A video that was posted on Twitter the next day by someone who claims to have witnessed the encounter tells a different story. The video shows the two cops repeatedly beating a man as they command him to “get on the ground.”

One of the officers is holding a used stun gun. The other officer pushes the man to the ground saying, “Now you’re going to get on the ground. Doesn’t that hurt?”

The officer with the stun-gun repeatedly hits the man as he is on the ground wailing in pain. The person recording the video can be heard yelling, “Stop hitting him!”

Hallandale Beach’s top officials and City Manager Roger Carlton called a press conference on Thursday to address the video.

“There is a video of two of our officers in an altercation with someone,” Carlton told the press. “I will tell you after viewing that video it is of serious concern to the police department, to me as city manager and certainly to our elected officials.”

Cerna and Allen have both been placed on administrative leave and the police department has launched an internal affairs investigation. Carlton told the media that they will be collecting surveillance footage in the area and interviewing witnesses about the incident.

“Any video of an altercation between a citizen and a police is always a concern. As you know, at a national level, there is more and more consciousness of this, more and more concern about it,” Carlton continued. “Hallandale Beach is a good place, we’re a family place. But like any city, we have crime and want our people to be protected. But we also want everybody treated fairly, so I think it would be grossly inappropriate for any member of the leadership of this community not to be concerned.”

Hallandale Beach Police Department is one of the few in South Florida that doesn’t have body cameras for all of its officers. Carlton told the press that the department is in the process of acquiring the cameras.

Personal Injury Attorney

If you or your loved one have been injured, you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced personal injury attorneys

Source: 6.1.18 2_cops_suspended_after_video_shows_the_beating_suspect.pdf

Two Hallandale Beach Cops Suspended After Viral Video Shows Them Beating Suspect

By

Daniel-Dunkelberger-245x300Two Hallendale Beach police officers have been placed on administrative leave while internal affairs investigates a video that reportedly shows them striking a suspect with batons.

Officers Richard Allen and Jaime Cerna were recorded arresting James Dunkelberger on May 30 after he purportedly stole a phone and charger from a parked car. Dunkelberger was charged with resisting an officer without violence and burglary.

According to the arrest affidavit, Dunkelberger tried to impede the two officers from arresting him. Cerna reportedly fired his stun gun at Dunkelberger but it was ineffective. The suspect stood up and tried to run from the two officers. Cerna fired his stun gun a second time, but the suspect still refused to comply, according to the affidavit.

Having expended both his stun gun cartridges, Cerna decided to use his baton to stop Dunkelberger. He struck the suspect multiple times on his legs and once Dunkelberger was on the ground, the two officers handcuffed him, the affidavit said.

A video that was posted on Twitter the next day by someone who claims to have witnessed the encounter tells a different story. The video shows the two cops repeatedly beating a man as they command him to “get on the ground.”

One of the officers is holding a used stun gun. The other officer pushes the man to the ground saying, “Now you’re going to get on the ground. Doesn’t that hurt?”

The officer with the stun-gun repeatedly hits the man as he is on the ground wailing in pain. The person recording the video can be heard yelling, “Stop hitting him!”

Hallandale Beach’s top officials and City Manager Roger Carlton called a press conference on Thursday to address the video.

“There is a video of two of our officers in an altercation with someone,” Carlton told the press. “I will tell you after viewing that video it is of serious concern to the police department, to me as city manager and certainly to our elected officials.”

Cerna and Allen have both been placed on administrative leave and the police department has launched an internal affairs investigation. Carlton told the media that they will be collecting surveillance footage in the area and interviewing witnesses about the incident.

“Any video of an altercation between a citizen and a police is always a concern. As you know, at a national level, there is more and more consciousness of this, more and more concern about it,” Carlton continued. “Hallandale Beach is a good place, we’re a family place. But like any city, we have crime and want our people to be protected. But we also want everybody treated fairly, so I think it would be grossly inappropriate for any member of the leadership of this community not to be concerned.”

Hallandale Beach Police Department is one of the few in South Florida that doesn’t have body cameras for all of its officers. Carlton told the press that the department is in the process of acquiring the cameras.

Personal Injury Attorney

If you or your loved one have been injured, you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced personal injury attorneys

Source: 6.1.18 2_cops_suspended_after_video_shows_the_beating_suspect.pdf