Miami Beach Officer Accusing Fellow Officer Of Punching Unarmed Citizen In Face

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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – A Miami Beach Police Officer is accusing one of his fellow officers of striking an unarmed citizen.

This stems from an incident that took place at the Pelican Hotel in Miami Beach on December 3rd.

There, Miami Beach Police found 35-year-old Lowell Poitier who was quote "acting irate" and "screaming loudly," according to a police report.

Video of the incident doesn't show any of that, but instead it shows the last moments before Poitier is knocked out cold.

The police report states the officer who punched Poitier was "in fear for his safety."

In an email to Miami City Manager Jimmy Morales, an attorney for Officer Frederick Dominguez sent a video of the incident that shows a confrontation between an officer and a civilian.

Dominguez is represented by former Miami Lakes mayor Michael Pizzi.

"Because he was brave enough to come forward I sincerely hope he will be given whistleblower protection and he will be protected from any form of retaliation," said Pizzi.

Wednesday afternoon, statements from Miami Beach Police Chief Dan Oates, as well as Morales, were released.

Chief Oates' Statement:

"I was made aware of this incident this morning. This is obviously a very serious matter.  At my direction, our Internal Affairs Unit immediately launched an investigation. We have also notified the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. The officer has been relieved of his patrol duties. He will be placed in a non-enforcement assignment until further notice."

Morales' Statement:

"Mistreatment of anyone by our police officers is unacceptable. I have full faith and confidence in our police department to complete a thorough investigation into this matter to determine what happened."

The officer whose actions are in question is Officer Adriel Dominguez, who was hired August 15, 2016.

He is not related to Officer Frederick Dominguez.