Olympic Sprinter Fred Kerley Arrested and Charged With Resisting an Officer.
Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley was arrested in Miami Beach after a “confrontation with police officers,” according to WSVN.
Kerley, 29, approached a police investigation scene late Thursday night, where he inquired about his parked vehicle. Police said he became “increasingly aggressive” and refused to leave the area, per NBC Miami. Officials said he took a “fighting stance,” and after he refused to obey instructions from the police, officers used a dart-firing stun gun to subdue him.
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According to WSVN, Kerley is being charged with “battery on a police officer, corrections officer, or firefighter, resisting an officer without violence and disorderly conduct.”
Kerley appeared in court on Friday afternoon. WPLG reported that Kerley’s attorney argued the sprinter’s charge for disorderly conduct was unfounded and that the police’s actions were an overreaction. Judge Mindy Glazer said that, according to the police report, it looked like Kerley was beaten “pretty badly” by the police.
The prosecution argued that the officers were justified in their use of force since Kerley, who is 6’3” and 205 pounds, is a “big guy” and was “pretty aggressive.”
Glazer, speaking to Kerley, said that “you were not at your best behavior when dealing with these police officers” but agreed that the situation could have been handled differently, noting Kerley’s lack of a prior arrest record. She ultimately found probable cause for the charges of battery of an officer and resisting arrest but did not find cause for disorderly conduct.
She ordered Kerley to be released, where he will await trial.
But on Friday evening, new charges appeared on Kerley’s inmate record: strong arm robbery, domestic battery by strangulation, and domestic violence.
The charges stem from an incident on May 7, 2024, involving a woman who Kerley was married to and shares kids with. Kerley allegedly choked the woman after she hit him in the face over an argument about the woman being in contact with someone on Instagram, reported Fox News. The Top Celeb 5K Times of 2024.
Richard L. Cooper, Kerley’s attorney, told CBS News: “These new charges are stemming from a falsified accusation that has resurfaced because of this new media attention from last night’s wrongful arrest.”
Kerley is one of the top sprinters in the world. After making a name as a top 400-meter runner early in his career, he pivoted to the shorter sprints, earning a silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. In 2024, he qualified again in the event at the Paris Olympics, where he took bronze in a photo finish. He was also a member of the 2024 Team USA Olympic 4x100 meter team, which was ultimately disqualified for an illegal baton pass.
Kerley has also won gold medals at the World Championships in the 100 meters in 2022, as well as the 4x400-meter relay (2019) and 4x100 (2023).
Kerley’s management team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Runner’s World.
New Year Has High-Profile Pros Between Contracts Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner who has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
