A South Florida police officer who is facing felony charges after pushing a handcuffed suspect into a wall was previously suspended for shoving a handcuffed woman -- an incident that was also caught on surveillance video.
The Homestead Police Department on Thursday released the footage from September 2016 showing officer Lester Brown escorting the woman into the department's booking room.
Brown is heard saying, "Don't do it, don't do it. I'll knock you the f--k out." He pushes her down onto a bench by the neck and is then heard saying, "Knock it off," striking her in the face with his hand.
The department released around 20 seconds of footage from the exchange. It's unclear what happened before and after the incident.
The Homestead Police Department terminated Brown after the incident. Brown arbitrated the case, and he was ultimately suspended for eight months.
On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Brown with battery and official misconduct after he shoved Jose Garcia in the booking room back in December 2018, causing him to bleed.
Brown's defense attorney said the arrest was a result of a "political" vendetta and accused the Homestead chief of police of trying to get rid of his client.
