Legal Commentary

UM Cops Pull Guns on Student on His First Day

By Professor University of Miami School of Law

U. Miami cops pulled guns on an innocent UM student on his first day of class. Since they did it in the Communications School, there's lots of video:

The law school's overflow classroom, which I'm currently teaching tort in, is in the “Learning Center” which is the next building over from the communications school.

The Miami Hurricane reports,

“The incident is currently under investigation to determine if law enforcement officers acted appropriately,” said Karla Hernandez, the university’s director of media relations. “We are consulting the Dade County State Attorney’s Office as is the procedure on any case involving an allegation of officer misconduct.”

In the tape, Chusid appears to comply with the officers’ order to stop. He got down on his hands and knees. One of the officers kicked his arms out from under him so that Chusid was flat out on the ground. Then an officer kicked the cell phone out of his hand.

Chusid was handcuffed and taken over to a nearby seat for questioning. After several minutes the officers apparently determined they had the wrong person, uncuffed him and allowed him to use his phone.

…

UMPD said someone attempted to steal a motorcycle near the law school earlier that day. The suspect was a young, white male wearing a red t-shirt and shorts.

According to the witnesses and Chusid himself, the resemblance was uncannily close.

In the video he's being an awfully good sport about it all.

Full post as published by Discourse.net on August 31, 2009 (boomark / email).