MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Video making the rounds on social media shows a Miami-Dade police officer’s comments to a man during a traffic stop, News 6 partner WPLG reported.
The stop took a threatening turn for the driver, who was heading to work.
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“Give me your driver’s license, registration and insurance,” the officer says in the video. “If not, you will not be going to work today.”
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The MDPD officer then made a very bold statement to the man.
“Simple thing, man. This is how you guys get killed out here, man,” the officer said.
The driver is 29-year-old Gerardson Nicolas, who was stopped for not wearing a seat belt. Nicolas said he feared for his life after the officer’s comment.
“I can’t stop thinking about it. Still to this day, I can’t,” said Nicolas, referring to the Wednesday morning incident on Northeast 159th Street at 18th Avenue.
The very real and raw video quickly went viral on social media.
What isn’t seen in the video, according to Nicolas, is the officer snatching the keys out of his ignition.
The video shows him going through his wallet and calmly handing something over to the officer.
Nicolas said he is still traumatized by the officer’s statement and the entire encounter.
“I followed orders, pulled over, and he got aggressive, hitting me with the door. That’s not right,” he said.
Miami-Dade police say they are aware of the video and are currently reviewing the body camera footage, saying in a statement:
“The officer’s patrol duty was changed to administrative desk duties pending a complete investigation of the traffic stop, the officer’s comments and conduct.”