A Coral Gables Police officer has been relieved of duty for allegedly battering a juvenile who was in custody, officials said Wednesday.
Officer Andre Hammann was relieved of duty with pay pending an investigation after a 17-year-old suspect claimed he was kicked by the officer, Police Chief Edward Hudak said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Hudak said the alleged incident happened after officers were trying to stop a stolen car around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The teen suspect crashed the car in the area of 32nd Avenue and Southwest 8th Street, Hudak said.
NBC 6 obtained cellphone Wednesday which shows multiple officer standing around a teen lying face down in handcuffs. It appears one Coral Gables police vehicle came to a stop in the patio area of a restaurant, but what you don't see on camera, according to a restaurant employee, is that a car also crashed into a pole around the corner.
The teen was taken into custody and hospitalized, Hudak said. Police say he has not been formally charged.
"We are doing an active criminal investigation in concert with the state attorney's office who's been involved from the beginning with the investigators from the Coral Gables Police Department's Internal Affairs, at which point if there are charges to be filed it would be solely up to the decision of the state attorney's office," Hudak said.
The State Attorney's Office is now investigating Officer Hammann
Check back with NBC 6 for updates.
