FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida senior was picking up his family at the airport on Thanksgiving Day when he was knocked out during a rough arrest by a Broward County deputy.
Richard Messina, 73, of Pompano Beach, had just been given a ticket when things suddenly got out of control and he ended up in the hospital and under arrest.
6 p.m. report:
What should have been a simple traffic citation for Messina, who was waiting for his son and pregnant daughter-in-law on Thanksgiving Day at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, turned chaotic. Body-worn camera footage shows that he ended up unconscious and bloody after a run-in with the deputy.
His family, through their attorney, is now releasing the body camera video.
“He punched me right in the face,” Messina said in the video.
About five minutes prior to the arrest, Messina was cited as he waited to pick up his son Anthony, 42, and daughter-in-law Sara, 32. The deputy removed the citation from the windshield and placed it in the vehicle, alleging he was dragged as the senior attempted to drive away.
The deputy asked for Messina’s ID when chaos ensued and a tussle took place. According to the deputy, both Sara and Anthony Messina intervened, allegedly with Anthony Messina pushing the deputy into the corner of the vehicle.
Additional backup arrived as Anthony Messina was placed in cuffs.
“Wait a minute, where’s my son? What’s going on? What am I doing here? What did I do?” Richard Messina is heard asking in the video.
All three Messinas spent Thanksgiving booked at the Broward County Jail, charged with battery on an officer.
Their attorney, Yale Sanford, said this situation “could’ve been avoided with clear communication, simple human decency, and an understanding of the individuals involved,” adding, “Our community deserves the opportunity to communicate with law enforcement without impending fear of retaliation.”
According to a spokesperson for the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the cases have been forwarded to the use of force review board.