Fired Miami Gardens Cop Arrested On Charge Of Battery Of Pregnant Black Woman

TOPLINE

A recently fired Miami Gardens police officer who was shown in a graphic video from January holding his knee to a pregnant Black woman’s neck while tasing her multiple times in the stomach has been arrested and charged with battery and official misconduct, the Miami-Dade State Attorney announced Thursday.

KEY FACTS

KEY BACKGROUND

A passenger in Satchell’s vehicle caught the incident on camera, with the video evidence appearing to contradict much of Martel’s account of what happened that night. That video was turned over to investigators several weeks ago, who concluded that Martel’s arrest report contained several false statements. The officer had claimed that Satchell closed the window of her car on his hand and resisted arrest by kicking before punching him on the lip. 

Martel, who is Hispanic, was fired last week following an excessive force complaint in a March incident at a RaceTrac gas station.

“I terminated the officers because the behavior was egregious and will not be tolerated at the department,” Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt said in a statement.

CRITICAL QUOTE

“As a result of Martel’s actions, Ms. Satchel suffered abrasions to her stomach from the Tasers, bruises and abrasions on her arms and bruises on her legs,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle said. “By filing these criminal charges today against former Miami Gardens officer Jordy Yanes Martel, we are saying that these actions are just plain wrong.”

CHIEF CRITIC

Douglas Hartman, an attorney representing Martel, has said the charges are an overreaction and are politically motivated since Fernández Rundle is running for reelection.

TANGENT

Martel’s arrest comes exactly one month after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minneapolis police custody, which has sparked a wave of protests over police brutality toward minorities and racial inequality across the country.

FURTHER READING

2 former Miami Gardens police officers had open investigations pending, personnel files show (WPLG-TV)

Miami Gardens police officer arrested after video shows him with knee on woman’s neck (Miami Herald)