Instagram/Barstool U Miami
A viral video captures the moment a police officer punched a “drunk” woman in the face while other officers carried her out of a University of Miami football game on Saturday. The officer’s actions are now under investigation, WPLG-TV reports.
The video shows the woman, wearing a Miami Hurricanes jersey, being lifted up by several officers and removed from Hard Rock Stadium during Miami’s 28-10 victory over Virginia Tech on November 4. As she is being carried, she appears to swing her arm twice toward one of the officers. Her second swing smacks the officer’s face and he responds with a punch to her face. Her head snaps backward and she appears to be knocked out by the strike. You can watch the video, first posted by Barstool U Miami, below:
According to WPLG-TV, Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said the department received a copy of the video and is investigating. The name of the officer and the woman’s name have not been released. Zabaleta said they are “gathering all of the details to gain a clear understanding of what occurred” and did not comment further on the incident.
Bystanders said the woman was drunk and was being taken out of the stadium by police because of her behavior. Police haven’t released other details about what happened before and after the brief video. In the video, three officers can be seen lifting the woman up on the stairs, while another fan tries to help her. Eventually two of the officers grab the woman, one by the right leg and the other by the left leg, and lift her up into the air. The third officer is guiding them out of the stadium when the woman swings at him and he punches her. She appears to start to drop to the ground after being hit, but the other officers catch her and continue walking to the exit.
The 30-second video has been viewed thousands of times on social media since it was posted Saturday.
The University of Miami often employs off-duty officers, who work in uniform, at games to assist with crowd control, traffic and security, The Associated Press reports. There were multiple skirmishes that required the involvement of law enforcement in the stands during Saturday’s game, according to the AP.
The game between the undefeated Miami football team and one-loss Virginia Tech began at 8 p.m. Saturday. Barstool U Miami posted other videos of women, appearing to be drunk, being removed from the stadium by officers and members of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department.
The University of Miami has not issued a statement about the video.
The fan who recorded the video, who was not identified, told WSVN-TV, “Everyone was disgusted by it. Whether or not she kicked him or whatever she was doing, you can see in the video, she doesn’t deserve to be punched in the face like that, especially by a grown man.”
Police have not said if the woman in the video is facing charges.
The Hurricanes will be back at Hard Rock Stadium next Saturday, November 11, for a highly anticipated matchup with Notre Dame. ESPN College GameDay announced they will be live at the school’s campus in Coral Gables that morning for its three-hour preview show.
