A Florida police officer has been arrested this Monday over a 2020 incident where he was caught on camera dragging a young man out of his home, WSVN reports.
Body camera footage of Opa-Locka Police Lt. Sergio Miguel Perez and other officers using a Taser on 19-year-old Jafet Castro before dragging him out of his home. An investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found that Perez intentionally struck Castro multiple times in the head.
“The camera captured Lt. Perez as he used his left arm/hand and delivered three closed hammer fist strikes to the head/facial area of the victim," the arrest form states.
Family members reportedly told officers they had tied up Castro because he was acting irrationally. But when officers arrived in the scene, the situation escalated.
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“Why in the world does the city of Opa-Locka have someone like Mr. Perez in a position to have a badge, a gun, a firearm and a stun gun to be in a position of authority to brutalize and stun gun, and then beat up a helpless and mentally challenged teenager?” said Attorney Michael Pizzi, who is representing Castro’s family.
According to WSVN, Perez was fired from the force for his role in a fatal wrong-way chase that killed four tourists. He was later rehired by the department.
Perez has been charged with a misdemeanor count of battery.
