By Minyvonne Burke
A Miami-Dade police officer faces a battery charge after video showed him throwing a Black woman to the ground during an arrest after she called 911 to report a man threatening her and a friend with a gun.
Officer Alejandro Giraldo was charged Friday with one count of felony official misconduct and one count of misdemeanor battery stemming from the violent March 5 confrontation.
In cellphone footage posted on social media, Giraldo is seen grabbing Dyma Loving, 26, by the arm and appearing to push her against a fence before throwing her on the ground.
Loving — who had called police to report the man brandishing a shotgun during an argument with her and her friend, Adrianna Green — was then placed in handcuffs. Dyma Loving called 911 to report that she and a friend had been threatened by a man with a gun. Courtesy of Dyma Loving
“After taking the sworn statements of Ms. Dyma Loving, Ms. Adrianna Green, all the other available witnesses, and reviewing all the known video evidence, we believe that there is sufficient evidence to charge a violation of Florida’s criminal statutes,” the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said in a press release Friday.
Giraldo was arrested Friday morning and held on a $5,500 bond. A spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department told NBC News that a decision would be made regarding Giraldo’s employment status. Following the March incident, he had been placed on administrative duty.
“An arrest of one of our own is disappointing and overshadows the hard work of the dedicated men and women of law enforcement, who strive daily to serve and protect our community,” police director Juan J. Perez said in a statement. “This particular case underscores our commitment to cooperate and work together with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in our continued effort to hold ourselves accountable.”
Loving’s attorney, Justin Moore, told NBC News on Friday that they “applaud the decision” to charge Giraldo, but believe his battery charge should also be a
