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≡ KERLEY ARRESTED IN MIAMI ≡
/Updated/The story spread like wildfire on track & field Web sites on Friday as Fred Kerley, 29, the Tokyo Olympic 100 m runner-up, Paris Olympic bronze medalist and 2022 World Champion, was arrested after getting into an altercation with police officers in Miami Beach on Thursday evening (2nd).
From multiple reports:
● Kerley and girlfriend Cleo Rahman (“DJ Sky High Baby”), 32, were in Miami Beach, walking back to their car in the 100 block of Ninth Street at about 11:25 p.m., with police involved in another matter and blocking access to Kerley’s vehicle.
● According to the police report, Kerley – who lives in the Miami area – approached with an “aggressive demeanor (and) was concerned about his vehicle that was parked in the area of the scene.”
● Kerley was told to go around the officers and circle back to his car. Officer Chris Bess of the Miami Police Department told WPLG TV: “Our officers attempted to de-escalate the situation multiple times. However, unfortunately, the defendant escalated it by using physical force on an officer and was subsequently dealt with accordingly.”
● Kerley was wrestled to the ground by what appeared to be four officers and was tased, finally being arrested, along with Rahman and taken into custody. He was charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Rahman was arrested on a misdemeanor resisting-arrest charge.
● He appeared before Miami-Dade 11th District Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glaser on Friday afternoon, with Glaser asking the prosecutors:
“Was there any responsibility on behalf of the police? Hopefully there’s video and body cam that will show what happened.”
She told Kerley: “I don’t know what happened here, sir. But obviously you were not at your best behavior here when dealing with these police officers.”
Glaser replied to a police officer interviewed remotely, “Sergeant, this could have been handled a different way. And I don’t know if the officers in Miami Beach are busy handling a lot of complicated crime scenes there, but I have a gentleman who’s never been arrested, there’s no prior arrests, who his attorney’s saying has competed in the Olympics, who is obviously a professional athlete and it’s unfortunate that he got to this position.”
She dismissed the disorderly conduct charge, but did find cause to retain the battery-on-an-officer and resisting arrest charges.
● She told Kerley later in the proceeding, “Sir, you’re probably smart to stay off Miami Beach. Go somewhere else to go to dinner, avoid getting in trouble, because if you get re-arrested, you’re going to be locked up in jail until your trial.”
Kerley was due back for a hearing in bond court on Saturday on a May 2024 domestic violence charge (see update below).
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This was a wild way to start 2025 after Kerley had a tumultuous 2024 on the track. He left his primary sponsor ASICS in June, then rebounded to run three seasonal bests in a row at the U.S. Olympic Trials two weeks later and made the American team with a third-place finish in the 100 m. He got two more seasonal bests to end up with the Paris bronze in the men’s 100 m at 9.81.
He signed with Grand Slam Track for 2025, the only Olympic 100 m medal winner from the past two Games to be a contracted “Racer” for all four events, beginning in April in Jamaica.
There’s no way to know whether this situation will impact Kerley’s ability to participate, as he still has two charges (one felony, one misdemeanor) pending against him, not including the domestic violence allegations against him.
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/Update/On Saturday, Kerley posted bond and was released from jail after his hearing on a domestic violence charge against his estranged wife, Angelica, in Miami.
The incident took place last May; Fred Kerley’s attorneys said the domestic violence allegations “are made by a highly motivated and angry woman.”
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