Miami Police Cuff Black Doctor In Front Of His Home For Failing To Show ID

Source: Jub Rubjob / Getty

Oh the irony! A Miami area doctor named Armen Henderson is making headlines in the Miami Herald for the second time in a month. Last time he was being highlighted for his work testing the homeless for COVID-19 during the pandemic. This week, it’s because he was handcuffed by police outside of his VERY OWN HOME in Miami Friday morning. The reason? He says he was unloading boxes from his van to be picked up curbside. As you can see in the video, Henderson was wearing a mask during the encounter, while the officer was not.

Watch the video below:

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Henderson, an employee of the University of Miami Health System, said the officer told him he was patrolling the area after receiving complaints of people dumping trash. He says he told the cop he was just unloading his van and was handcuffed when he didn’t show the officer identification and turned back toward his van.

“He said ‘you should refer to me as sir, or sergeant when talking to me.’ I never said I was a doctor. But I didn’t cuss. He just grabbed my arms and cuffed me,” Henderson said.

Henderson said the officer released him from the handcuffs and left after he yelled for his wife, who brought his identification outside.

Miami police told the Herald that Henderson had not called the department to complain, but said they would send an investigator to look into the matter.

Henderson told the Herald he had no intention of calling police.

“I just got accosted by police,” he said. “Why would I call them?”

Dr. Henderson was featured in a March 28 story by Miami Herald staff writer Joey Flechas about how he and dozens of volunteers from three nonprofits had been patrolling Miami downtown area to test the homeless for COVID-19. In addition to testing, the group were also handing out camping tents. Henderson told Flechas at the time that volunteer efforts were actually an act of “civil disobedience,” technically they were defying an order from Miami-Dade County’s mayor to stay off the streets.

Chief Jorge R. Colina released a video statement saying the department doesn’t condone profiling.

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Do you think he’s just trying to cover up?