CORAL GABLES, FLA. (WSVN) - Newly surfaced surveillance video captured the moment when, police said, the son of U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez slapped a City of Miami commissioner at a Coral Gables restaurant, as well as the moment a security detail for the commissioner tackled the suspect steps away.
The security footage captured Wednesday’s altercation and the ensuing tackle from different angles.
The encounter at the restaurant happened at around 2 p.m.
Police said Carlos Gimenez Jr. is the man seen walking toward an outside table at Morton’s Steakhouse in Ponce de Leon Boulevard where Diaz de la Portilla was having lunch.
Although recorded from a distance, the man in the video is seen walking behind the commissioner and slapping him in the back of the head.
Diaz de la Portilla is then seen standing up and exchanging words with his assailant.
Seconds later, Gimenez is seen being forced outside the restaurant by Diaz de la Portilla’s sergeant-at-arms.
The sergeant-at-arms then body slamming Gimenez to the ground. Gimenez is then seen struggling until he is restrained.
Gimenez, who is a lawyer, was held until Coral Gables Police officers responded to the scene. The suspect was placed in handcuffs and put in the back of a cruiser.
According to the arrest form, Gimenez was taken to jail after the restaurant encounter and bonded out Thursday morning. He was charged with simple battery.
As he walked out of jail, Gimenez had something to say about the police response to this restaurant encounter.
“Law enforcement, I don’t know how many arrests, robberies, muggings, etcetera happened last night, it was a lot of police that was involved in this one incident,” he said. “That should be questioned. Why does it happen?”
7News reached out to Diaz de la Portilla following a Miami City Commission meeting on Thursday night, but he declined to comment on the incident.
However, he later sent a statement that reads, “It was more like a flick of the wrist from behind me when I was having lunch as he cowardly approached me from behind and ran away. This guy is not known as a very courageous guy. Actually, he’s quite a coward and appeared to be under the influence.”
Gimenez reacted to this statement.
“I mean, did I call somebody to help me?” he said.
His father served as mayor of Miami-Dade County from 2011 to 2020.
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