The video was posted to Facebook earlier today by a woman named Marilyn Smith and is quickly going viral. The cop watcher who recorded the video is unknown at this time
Smith’s post is captioned “Police Brutality #FreeYayo”.
The 45-second video depicts two men getting arrested and a Miami police officer marching one of the young men towards one of multiple squad cars on the scene.
Judging by the look and style of the buildings, the arrest took place in the “Pork & Beans” housing projects in a neighborhood known as Liberty City. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced that the “Pork & Beans” officially known as the [__Liberty Square Apartments would be razed soon and rebuilt__](http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/violence-plagued-pork-n-bean-projects-to-be-razed-but-will-it-help-residents-6560915).
The young man appears to be compliant with the officer’s arrest throughout the entire recorded video and gets into the Miami cop’s squad car. The men presumably exchanged words and suddenly, it all went wrong.
The Miami cop apparently beat his suspect for something, he said.
The witness who recorded the incident vertically calmly walked up behind the officer to capture the scene.
It’s always recommended to keep a safe distance from police while recording, and let the camera do the work – or even a zoom, though the quality may suffer.
In this case, it’s unknown who assaulted the cop watcher that recorded the video as she approached the police vehicle to better view the beating by the Miami cop against his smaller and presumably younger suspect.
The video ends after 47 seconds, when the cop watcher says “Don’t touch my phone, baby.”
Whoever is baby, probably has some explaining to do.
**UPDATE:** Miami Herald reporter David Smiley [__tweeted that the Miami Police Department has suspended the cop__](https://twitter.com/NewsbySmiley) in the video.
**UPDATE II:** [__Local 10__](http://www.local10.com/news/police-punch-handcuffed-man/34710040) interviewed the woman who recorded it, who told them she was “ordered” to delete it, apparently by police. She also said the man was arrested because police found marijuana nearby.
> The Miami Police Department released this statement:
> “We have seen the video and we have launched a full internal affairs investigation into the matter. We take that responsibility very seriously. The officer involved in the incident will be relieved of duty as we investigate.”
> Lt. Javier Ortiz, president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, released this statement:
> “As everyone is aware, social media has placed a very negative tone on law enforcement nationwide. While the video may seem disturbing to some, the FOP is convinced that when everything is analyzed within the totality of the circumstances, it will be concluded that the police officer was doing what he is supposed to be doing, protecting our community.”
Or to use a common phrase to put Ortiz’s comments into perspective, the cop was only protecting the shit out of the community.
*Ed Note: Updated by Carlos Miller. Original story said vertical recommended, when it should have read “horizontal filming always recommended”!*