Exclusive: Suspended Miami-Dade Officer Talks For First Time After Dyma Loving Controversial Rough Arrest
CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami)— For the first time since the controversial arrest of Dyma Loving, a Miami-Dade police officer who was suspended following that incident is speaking out, along with his attorney.
In an exclusive interview with CBS4's Peter D'Oench, Officer Alejandro Giraldo says he is devoted to police work.
"I love being a police officer," said Giraldo. "And I would like to continue being a police officer."
"Why does that mean so much to you?" Giraldo was asked.
"It's actually the community," he said. "And being involved. We are talking about 13 years of experience. I love being involved with the community as well and helping out and reaching out."
Giraldo spoke inside the offices of his Coral Gables attorney Andre Rouviere. His pregnant wife sat beside him. Giraldo said he was devoted to his family.
"I am very family oriented," he said. "I have been married to my wife for almost 13 years and I have an 8-year-old child and one on the way. My wife is 7-and-a-half months pregnant."
"Your family means a lot to you?" He was asked.
"Yes it does," he said.
Giraldo is suspended with pay until his arraignment on or about May 24th after which Miami-Dade police say he will be suspended without pay.
He is out on $5500 bond and is on administrative duty following his arrest last Friday for official misconduct for allegedly lying on a police report, a 3rd degree felony, and misdemeanor battery in the March 5th arrest of Dyma Loving.
Loving had called 911 to say that she and her friend Adrianne Green were threatened by a man with a gun and when police got to a home in Southwest Miami-Dade, Loving was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. But those charges were dropped.
Giraldo's attorney Andre Louviere said, "I don't want to say if the charges were excessive or not. The State Attorney has an obligation to file based on the law in this case but I think it is a stretch. But I guess that will play out in court and we will figure out what the Jury has to say and if this was appropriate."
"I'm not going to speak on procedure but I think other cops will speak on police procedure in court," said Louviere.
D'Oench also spoke exclusively with Loving about the arrest of Giraldo.
"Honestly I feel very surprised," she said. "I was very happy. I was hoping the charges would be filed. I didn't know it would happen."
But she also said, "I feel slightly happy about the decision."
"You do not feel it went far enough?" She was asked.
"Not at all," she said.
"You feel it should have been a felony not misdemeanor?" She was asked.
"Absolutely," she said.
Louviere said "Miss Loving is entitled to her own opinion but the state has the right to file charges based on the evidence and they must have felt the evidence supported misdemeanor charges."
Loving said "I wanted to stay with this case because I don't want this to happen to anyone else. And this sort of thing happens a lot where something is pushed under the rug. I am alive so I have to fight for it. I also think the officer should be relieved of duty and not allowed to work in any state or jurisdiction. His police card should be revoked."
"There's lot going on with this case right now," said Loving, a mother of three children. "There is a lot of pressure going on right now. And I pray this goes away."
Giraldo's attorney said Giraldo would fight the charges and is pleading not guilty and said he had never been accused before of using excessive force."
