'God Work and Get Back at Nasty People,' Says Miami Cop Suspended After Unknowingly Stopping Lieutenant for Speeding in Video
A Miami police officer has been suspended with pay after he unknowingly stopped a superior officer for speeding, and then ended up in a tense scuffle with him after his superior allegedly refused to provide his driver's license, told him to "get back in his car, and attacked him as he tried to do his job last month.
A leaked copy of a video of the incident recorded by the officer, Marcel Jackson, using his personal GoPro camera and made public in a report by Al Crespo, has now become a damning piece of evidence in favor of Officer Jackson who worried shortly after the incident that he could suffer untold repercussions for simply trying to do his job. He was consoled in one clip of the recording, however, that there were several witnesses to what happened and expressed that it was God's way of getting back at the "nasty" Lieutenant to ensure any investigation of the incident would not simply be a case of the superior officer's word against his.
The clip of the traffic stop shows Officer Jackson pulling over a silver Chevy for speeding. He is then shown walking up to the driver's window where there is an inaudible exchange and brief waiting period until suddenly the driver appears to leap from his car and officer Jackson is shown grabbing the driver and wrestling him to the ground. Other officers are shown arriving at the scene during the scuffle and after a tense exchange with the man on the ground, the officers quickly realize that the speeding driver is Lieutenant David Ramras, assigned to Internal Affairs.
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"Get off me," Ramras can be heard screaming from beneath the pile of officers in the video. Once he is off the ground Ramras rips into Jackson: "Do you know who the f**k I am?"
"No, I don't," Jackson replied.
"I showed you ID," Ramras screamed.
According to Jackson in an account of what happened as told to a telephone party called "Rick," Ramras never properly identified himself and was uncooperative.
"He's running around trying to pull muscle and rank, but I'm telling him, sir, you can't do that. He's telling me, get in your car. I was like, what, who are you talking to?" said Jackson.
"I said, sir, license, registration and insurance. Just like any 19 I've ever done in my life, dude. And this guy just jumps down my throat. And I'm like, OK, He didn't give me a chance to say what I pulled him over for," explained Jackson.
"You see God work man. God work and get back at nasty people … some other PST guys was just driving down the street when the guy jumped out at me dude and I had to like sling him to the ground," added Jackson, who explained that certain people in his department "don't care too much for me; they've all been after my throat since I've been working here."
"I thought I was gonna get into a shooting, I swear to God … because I didn't know if he was armed, whether he is a police or not dog. I told the man not to go for no weapons. I said 'don't go for no weapons. Don't you do nothin,' I will shoot you. I told him straight up," Jackson confessed.
According to a Local 10 report, president of Miami's Fraternal Order of Police, Javier Ortiz, who was called to the scene and could be heard in an extended recording warning Jackson that it's "you against the world," said he believes Jackson was acting in "good faith when he stopped the speeding Ramras.
"Time will tell how this will play out," said Ortiz. "I believe that Officer Jackson was acting in good faith when he pulled over Lt. Ramras. Once the contact was made between the officer and the lieutenant, that's where things get sketchy."
Shortly after the 29 minute mark on the extended video, Jackson attempted to take pictures of the scene of the incident but an unseen cop instructed him not to do so, but Jackson protested.
"It's on public display. I can take pictures of whatever is in public," Jackson said in the video.
"We're not going to allow that sh*t to happen here," the unidentified cop warned him. "Put your phone away and relax. Go sit in your car now."
Shortly after that encounter, Ortiz walked up to Jackson and told him: "I don't know what is going on. I understand what he [Ramras] did, but right now as you can see, it's you against the world because of who it is, so we're going to get the attorney here and we're going to figure out how we're going to handle this. I don't think we're just going to let this go or anything, you know."
"I'm not going to let it go. I was insulted," Jackson said.
That insult came in the form of Ramras asking Jackson during the stop "What's that on your face?" – referring to a skin condition that makes it impossible for the officer to shave.
Jackson was relieved of his duties last Friday and Miami police officers have been reacting to the incident on Leo Affairs.
"A complete failure of leadership and command presence. The fact one is a sergeant, lieutenant, captain or an exempt rank, does not invest you with an untouchable aura. In fact, the ranking officer must lead by example and be as courteous as possible. No, it is not weakness, it is strength and the ability to control the situation with aplomb. Orosa, you are a sorry excuse for a police chief!" noted one officer on the website.
"Jackson is one hell of a cop and person. Keep your head up, hopefully karma pays those around this a visit," added another.
The Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney is currently reviewing the case, according to Local 10 News.
