Miami Cops Punching, Choking Unarmed Man Who Tried to Flee

Surveillance video obtained shows two City of Miami Police officers repeatedly punching, choking, and tackling an apparently unarmed man after the suspect attempted to run away at a gas station. The clip begins by showing the man in question walking calmly away from a convenience store. After the man places his hands in the air and shrugs, the two MPD officers immediately grab him and press him against their squad car - but then the man tries to run.

One officer then immediately grabs the man around the neck with both hands and yanks, while the second officer starts punching the suspect in the ribs. The three men then struggle on the ground for nearly five minutes: At the 1:17 mark in the clip, the officer in the darker uniform places the suspect in a chokehold. As one cop calls for backup, a civilian store employee then moves in and helps the officers press the man to the ground.

So far, police have released no information about what sparked the encounter. Crespo reports that police were there because the man was allegedly trespassing. It's unclear when the clip was filmed, but the clip is dated "2018" in the top-left corner of the screen.

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