Why did Miami police arrest Olympic medalist Fred Kerley? Everything about the incident that led to sprinter's 'aggressive' faceoff with authorities

100m Olympic medalist Fred Kerley was arrested by Miami Beach police on charges of battery on an officer on Thursday night.

According to the Miami Beach police, Kerley confronted the authorities over not being allowed to access his vehicle parked at the beach's 100 block of 9th Street, which was an active site of investigation according to them. The 29-year-old ignored the officer's commands, and became "increasingly aggressive", as per the police.

The police said he adopted a "fighting stance" before they called up for backup and stopped him with the help of a dart-firing stun gun. The 2022 world champion was taken into custody afterward and faces charges of resisting law enforcement authorities without violence and disorderly conduct. He was scheduled to appear in bond court on Friday afternoon.

Kerley is the joint third-fastest American sprinter, having clocked a lifetime best of 9.76s at the 2022 US National Championships. A 400m sprinter at the start of his career, he made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men's 100m and clinched a silver medal.

The 29-year-old won the 100m world title at the 2022 World Championships in an impressive 9.86 seconds. After a tough season in 2023, he redeemed himself with a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Fred Kerley scripted remarkable comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Fred Kerley in action- Source: Getty

Fred Kerley was stunned at the 2023 World Championships after failing to qualify for the 100m final despite being the defending champion. He looked more out of form as well as injury-prone at the start of the 2024 season, falling to breach the 10s mark before the start of the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Despite being one of America's fastest in the distance, he wasn't among the favorites to make the three-member U.S. Olympic team. However, the 29-year-old surprised everyone in the 100m final in Eugune, clocking an impressive 9.88s to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Fred Kerley broke the 10s barrier during the preliminary round in Paris, running 9.97s to advance to the semifinals where he finished second in 9.84s. The world champion came clutch in the final, running a blistering 9.81s to win the bronze medal.

His fellow American sprinter Noah Lyles won the gold medal in 9.784s while Jamaican's Kishane Thompson took silver after only being five-thousandths of a second slower.