SUNRISE, Fla. — Authorities on Thursday arrested a police sergeant seen in body camera footage putting his hands on another officer’s throat during an arrest last year.
The charges against Sgt. Christopher Pullease stem from a November 2021 arrest in Sunrise, Broward County State Attorney Harold Pryor said. Authorities charged the 47-year-old with one count each of battery on a law enforcement officer, tampering with evidence, assault on a law enforcement officer and assault on a civilian.
The charges come months after police released body camera footage that showed Pullease putting his hands on another officer during a Nov. 19, 2021, arrest. In the video, Pullease could be seen walking up to a handcuffed man with pepper spray in his hand, WSVN reported.
“I will remove your (expletive) soul from your (expletive) body,” he told the man, according to the news station.
Another officer can be seen intervening as the situation became more heated. After she pulled Pullease back by his belt, he could be seen turning and grabbing her by her throat, WSVN reported.
“Never (expletive) touch me again,” he said, according to the news station. “Get the (expletive) off me.”
A Sunrise Police sgt is on desk duty during an IA. Body cam vid shows him grabbing the throat of a young officer after she pulled him back from a cuffed arrestee.
— Daniel Cohen (@DCohenNEWS) January 14, 2022
“I find this behavior to be disgusting.”- Chief Rosa
w/@KarenHenselTV @wsvn Watch full: https://t.co/XoDyqryBEp pic.twitter.com/MCxOOJ2KvW
In a news release, Pryor said Pullease is accused of “intentionally touching or striking the female police officer against her will” on Nov. 19, 2021. Prosecutors said in an affidavit filed in court that Pullease also held pepper spray up to the officer’s face and up to the face of the man who was being arrested. Pullease is also accused of tampering with evidence, identified as his cellphone, in January.
If convicted of the most serious charge filed against him, Pullease could face a maximum sentence of five years in state prison.
Sunrise Police Chief Anthony Rosa said in a statement obtained by WPLG that the man under arrest, Jean Bernard Similien, resisted officers as he was arrested on suspicion of battering several people.
“Once the suspect was inside the patrol vehicle, the sergeant approached and engaged in a verbal altercation with the suspect in a manner that I feel was inappropriate and unprofessional,” Rosa said, according to WPLG. “This supervisor escalated the encounter instead of de-escalating an emotionally charged situation.”
Police told WPLG that Pullease remained on administrative leave Thursday.
“Further determination with regards to the employment of Sergeant Pullease will be made in accordance with Florida State Statute 112.532, due process, and the collective bargaining agreement,” officials said, according to the news station.
Records show Pullease is next scheduled to appear in court in September.
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