Newly released footage shows a Florida police officer yelling “I’m going to remove your damn soul” at an incarcerated black man before being pulled away by a female officer, whom he later grabbed by the throat in a fit of rage.
Sergeant Christopher Pullease arrived at the scene in the town of Sunrise on November 19 after other officers responded to reports that a man had assaulted people outside a supermarket.
The suspect, Jean Similien, had threatened to shoot officers and fought back as they led him to the stern of a police cruiser.
“Look at me, son of a bitch,” Pullease said to the man as he arrived, leaning into the car with his hand on the seat. “Do you want to play damn games? Are you trying to be disrespectful to my damn officers? I’m going to remove your damn soul from your damn body!’
A 27-year-old police officer pulls Pullease away by his belt to defuse the situation. At that moment, the sergeant, a 21-year veteran of the force, turned and pushed her in the throat against a car.
He yells an expletive at her and says, “F****** don’t ever touch me again.” He later tells her, “And I will [expletive] See you in about five minutes,’ according to audio obtained from WSVN.
Sunrise, Fla. Police Sgt. Christopher Pullease is under criminal investigation after he yelled at a detainee and grabbed a female officer by the throat in a fit of rage in an incident in November
The situation began when Pullease approached an arrested suspect with pepper spray. “Look at me, motherfucker,” Pullease told him. “Do you want to play damn games? Are you trying to be disrespectful to my damn officers? I’m going to remove your damn soul from your damn body!’
The detainee had threatened to shoot officers if they didn’t stop following him, according to audio obtained by South Florida broadcaster WSVN
A 27-year-old police officer pulled Pullease by his belt as she tried to defuse the situation
Then Pullease grabbed the policewoman by the neck. “F****** don’t ever touch me again,” he told her before warning her, “and I’ll see you in about five minutes.”
Pullease is suspended with pay pending an internal and criminal investigation.
Sunrise police released silent bodycam footage of the November incident in January. WSVN received audio recordings of the incident last week.
Officers were responding to reports that Similien had assaulted people outside a Shop & Save store in Sunrise, a Fort Lauderdale suburb.
Bodycam video shows other officers arguing with Similien before he was finally put in a squad car.
“I don’t want to talk,” he said as he stood between two apartment buildings around 2 p.m. ‘Never mind, it’s my damn rights.’
Then he threatens: “You all follow me steadily. If I open fire on one, two or three, I told you all, don’t follow me.’
A female officer asks: “Are you threatening us with this?”
He replies: ‘You can take it as you want.’
The officer then tells someone over her radio, “The subject is threatening to open fire at this point,” to which a voice replies, “The suspect, why hasn’t he been arrested yet?”
Video shows Pullease turning while stepping back when stopped from yelling at the detainees, then briefly put his hand to the other officer’s throat, pushing her back until she hits a nearby police car
Footage from Pullease’s bodycam shows the moment he drives to the crime scene, pepper spray in hand, and starts yelling at him.
“Watch out, motherfucker. Hey, hey, look at me, look at me! Look at me! Wanna fucking play fucking games? You’re playing with the wrong motherfucker!’ Pullease said.
“Do what you have to do, man. will you hit me Club me,” Similien replied.
Then Pullease threatened to “remove his soul from his body”.
“Well, do it,” said Similien.
At that time, an unidentified female officer with less than three years of experience on the force retired Sgt. Retire.
The 21-year-old veteran turned and pinned her against a car, first grabbing her by the neck before his hand went to her shoulder.
“Sir,” the woman said when her colleague attacked her.
Pullease walks back to the patrol car with the suspect tied up and yells, “Get clear?”
Similien replies, “Yes, sir.”
“And I’ll see you in about five minutes,” Pullease said, pointing to the policewoman.
He briefly returned to his squad car before returning to the waiting officers.
“Everybody turn off their damn cameras,” he said, according to audio from WSVN.
Pullease is now under criminal investigation.
Police in Sunrise “are cooperating with the Broward District Attorney’s Office during this criminal investigation,” police spokesman Justin Yarborough said in January.
Meanwhile, the union representing officers at Sunrise – The FOP Lodge 80 – is demanding that Police Chief Anthony Rosa back down from the investigation and is furious over the interview as it claims Pullease is being stitched.
Police Chief Anthony Rosa (pictured) said Pullease was “inappropriate and unprofessional” in the situation, adding that he “unnecessarily increased the suspect’s behavior”.
Chief Anthony Rosa (right) with Sgt. Christopher Pullease as he received an award in 2019
“It is evident that he has jumped to a conclusion without knowing all the facts,” the union said in a statement.
“I want to emphasize that one of my highest responsibilities is to ensure safe working conditions for all employees and I will not back down from that obligation no matter who is involved,” Rosa replied in a written statement.
He said that Pullease was “inappropriate and unprofessional” in the situation, adding that he “unnecessarily increased the suspect’s behavior.”
Pullease has been relieved of his supervisory duties since the incident. Internal affairs are investigated, with Rosa calling his behavior “disgusting”.
According to Rosa, he has no contact or oversight of lower-level personnel.
“I am very proud of the officers involved in this incident and believe the actions taken were final and demonstrated good leadership in a tense situation,” Rosa said.
He noted that Sunrise officials are urged to “de-escalate emotionally charged situations” and to intervene if one of their number appears to be losing control or exhibits inappropriate behavior when interacting with the public.
In an interview with a local TV station in January, Rosa was asked why Pullease had not already been charged in the three months since the incident, with a reporter pointing out that any civilian who puts his hands on a police officer’s throat will be charged .
“So there are some details of the investigation that I have not disclosed, that I cannot disclose at this time, and if any of the information that emerges during the investigation rises to a level of criminal conduct or criminal conduct, then we’ll ‘I will address it appropriately,” Rosa replied.
A WSVN investigation into Pullease found he had been investigated twice for excessive use of force in his two decades on the job, but had been acquitted both times.