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No Action Will Be Taken Against Ex-Miami Officer Involved In Rough Arrest Of Handcuffed Pregnant Woman

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami police officer involved in the November 2020 rough arrest of a handcuffed pregnant woman will likely not be held accountable.

"It was very hard to watch. I wanted to cringe," said George Ray III with the City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel.

The CIP said Tuesday they planned to send a letter to the state attorney's office urging them to reconsider criminal charges against now-former Miami police officer Miguel Hernandez. The state attorney's office initially said they weren't moving forward with charges because the victim in the case would not cooperate.

As of Wednesday, a spokesperson for the SAO said they hadn't received a letter. But if they did, spokesperson Ed Griffith said he was certain the letter would be "given serious consideration."

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On Tuesday, the civilian panel voted in favor of the no-finding recommendation, essentially closing the case.

"Although the officer is no longer part of the department, we had to create a 'no finding' for that officer," said Rodney Jacobs, the assistant director for the panel. "Our ordinance doesn't allow us to make finding a fact for individuals that are no longer in the department."

Former officer Miguel Hernandez quit his job as a police officer in June 2021, months after the incident. CBS4 confirmed he is still receiving a pension.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the pension board in Miami said board members would be requesting records from Internal Affairs in regards to the incident with Hernandez. But, the group pointed out the pension board can only forfeit a member's pension when and if a member has been convicted of a specified event.

In the body camera video released Monday, officer Miguel Hernandez grabs Julissa Burgos by the neck and throws her to the ground, leaving her unconscious for several minutes.

Hernandez initially justified his actions because he said Burgos spat in his face.

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