A fired police officer in Miami Gardens, Florida is now facing charges over the way he treated a woman in a January 14 encounter outside of a strip club, according to NBC News. Jordy Yanes Martel, 30, is charged with two counts of battery and four counts of official misconduct.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Safiya Satchell, 33, was displeased with service at the establishment and left, but not before allegedly throwing a tip at a server. A manager asked an off-duty officer who was working as a guard to give Satchell a trespassing warning.
As seen on video, the dispute started with the officer telling Satchell to walk to his patrol car, but Satchell wanted to drive to the patrol car because she’d removed her shoes. Satchell told Martel, the officer, to pull her out of her car, so he did. The scene escalated with Martel twice shocking Satchell with a stun gun and putting his knee on her neck.
The FDLE claimed the defendant lied in his accounts on the arrest report, had no reason to arrest Stachell, didn’t tell her why she was being apprehended, and went over the top in how he treated her.
“It is long overdue for civilian oversight of our cities’ police departments to ensure our officers are not just serving but protecting our community,” said Jonathan Jordan, an attorney for Satchell. “If you’re an officer that has broken policy or acted under color of law with a belief that Black Lives don’t Matter, you ought to be looking over your shoulder because the chickens have finally come home to roost.”
Martel was fired over the incident. The South Florida Police Benevolent Association, a local union, argued that the current zeitgeist influenced the charges against Martel.
“We are concerned that the recent nationwide events surrounding law enforcement played into today’s actions,” they said.
[Screengrab via Miami-Dade State Attorney / CBS Miami]
