UM Police Arrest Mistake Caught on Tape
Welcome to the University of Miami - Now get on the ground!
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 7:58 AM EDT, Tue, Sep 1, 2009
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Jordan Chusid received a first-day orientation that seems a little inappropriate - even for the University of Miami.
The transfer from the University of Central Florida had to stare down the barrel of two guns held by campus police who bum-rushed the student last week because they thought he was a suspect who had stolen a motorcycle from the law school parking lot earlier in the day.
Turns out the cops were wrong and a grad student who just happened to be outside at the time filmed the entire thing. Oops.
“It was a very scary experience,” Chusid told The Miami Hurricane, the campus newspaper. “I had two guns pulled on me. This is an experience that obviously sucked.”
The footage - as seen above - shows two cops, guns drawn, rushing Chusid as he was talking on his cell phone to his mother on Wednesday. The student was reportedly coming from Spanish class when he was greeted by guns and angry cops.
“Get on the ground! Get on the ground! Don’t you run,” yells one officer as he points his pistol directly at Chusid. Chusid immediately complies on tape and is thanked by a knee to his back from the cop.
The video also shows the cop kicking Chusid's arms apart to force him face down to the ground.
Another cop approaches from the rear and is also shouting instructions to the scared student. Turns out the real suspect didn't look like Chusid at all, and he was let go.
University officials said they are investigating the case of mistaken identity to see if the cops operated by the book.
"The incident is currently under investigation to determine if law enforcement officers acted appropriately. We are consulting the Dade County State Attorney's Office as is the procedure on any case involving an allegation of officer misconduct," UM said in a statement.
As for Chusid, he said he won’t let the rude welcome change his feelings about the orange and Green.
"I always somehow have a story for the first day. Everywhere I go something weird happens to me," Chusid said. "This tops it though."
Welcome to Miami, kid.
First Published: Aug 31, 2009 6:23 PM EDT
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