There was weed, fisticuffs, a Taser that didn’t work. Then a crowd gathered, cops say

One minute, Junior Savoir and Jairo Jose Medina were sitting on a seawall in Miami Beach smoking weed.

Then police arrived. Soon elbows and fists flew. Police deployed a Taser — to no affect, they said — and a crowd gathered.

When calm was finally restored, Savoir, 36 and Medina, 26, were arrested and charged with a slew of crimes including resisting arrest and drug possession. At one point, police said Savoir threw a violent elbow that cut an officer’s head.

Police responded with blows of their own. Savoir’s mugshot shows his left eye swollen completely shut.

“While in officer Garcia’s grasp he was able to deliver five closed fist strikes to ... Savoir’s facial area in order to gain compliance and place him in custody,” an officer wrote in Savoir’s arrest affidavit.

According to Miami Beach police, the spiraling series of events began at 11 p.m. Wednesday when two officers riding ATVs and dressed in full uniform approached Savoir and Medina as they sat on the seawall on Ocean Drive and Eighth Street.

Police, who said they smelled marijuana, said the two men were by themselves. When asked if they had marijuana, Savoir responded, “Yea, I got some weed in my pocket,” police said.

Officers then told Savoir to turn around and place his hands behind his back. They say he disobeyed, tensing his arms and violently pulling away before trying to run away. When officers caught up with him, they began to wrestle, police said.

At one point, police said Savoir “violently threw an elbow strike” that caused a gash to one officer’s head. That’s when one of the cops punched Savoir five times in the face. Savoir continued to struggle, police said, so they used a Taser, which they said had little effect.

They eventually got him into custody. But as they did, police said, Medina stood behind them yelling “F the police.” That caused a crowd to gather. After police had Savoir in control, they said they arrested Medina, who put up no fight.

Both men were taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where they remained Thursday. Savoir was charged with battery on a police officer and a firefighter, possession of controlled substances including Adderall, and resisting an officer with violence. His bond was set at $24,500.

Medina was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. His bond was $1,500.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 11:41 AM with the headline "There was weed, fisticuffs, a Taser that didn’t work. Then a crowd gathered, cops say."