Veteran Upset Miami Officer Won't Face Discipline For Rough Arrest

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A veteran says a South Florida officer used excessive force on him, throwing him to the ground, and now he's upset the officer won't face discipline.

Oscar Riou said he was thrown on the ground and arrested by Officer Ioannys Llanes while he was making a video back in 2018 at a Miami park. 

In his audio recording, he’s heard saying, “Miami PD in the spot — on the job doing what they are supposed to do.”

Llanes is then heard asking Riou if he knew the park was closed. Riou says he didn't know.

The camera is seen being jostled around and Riou says he ended up on the ground.

”Please sir. You are hurting me, sir," Riou says.

Llanes responds, "I am not hurting you."

"Yes you are. You threw me on the solid ground," Riou says.

Riou was charged with resisting arrest without violence, which was later dropped. He filed this internal affairs complaint alleging Llanes “... unlawfully ordered him to leave the park ... threw him to the ground, searched him without his consent and falsely arrested him.”  

But months ago, Llanes was cleared of the accusations.

“I don’t know if my soul is stuck in that park where I was dragged down and pulled down, but the most things that bother me and plagues me is knowing I don’t know the next thing they are going to bring," Riou said. "You know the fear — you walk out of your door — you don’t know what to expect and especially from professional law enforcement. They are supposed to protect us."

“Mr. Riou was just there contemplating his next move,” said NAACP President Ruben Roberts. “In this report you will see all the mistakes that were made and in this report you will see how the internal investigation failed the officer and Mr. Riou because there are so many glaring gaps.

Roberts says internal affairs found Llanes wrote in his arrest report the "defendant was advised several times to stop resisting and place his hands behind his back." Investigators say a “review of body-worn camera footage showed Officer Llanes did not make such verbal commands; however, he did instruct Mr. Riou to 'have a seat' several times leading up to the use of force.“

In clearing Llanes, investigators said, "He acknowledged his inconsistencies between his arrest affidavit and BWC footage ... and stated it was due to failing to review his BWC footage prior to completing his report.”

“It is important for me to say that there are some very good officers out there," Rawsi Williams, Riou’s attorney, said. “Mr. Riou didn’t receive that kind of treatment. We do believe a brighter day is coming. It’s going to come but at this moment in time we do want this officer held accountable."

Internal affairs did cite Llanes for the discrepancy in his paperwork and say the park was closed when Riou was sitting out there. His lawyer says back then there weren’t any signs out here telling the public when it closed.

The Miami Police Department’s attorney said in a statement Wednesday saying they would not comment due to the legal action underway. They say the matter did get a full review.

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