MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – Newly released body camera video shows the arrest of a man, police say, who is accused of assaulting two women and a police officer.
Sex offender and accused repeat violent offender is how Perry Smith is described by law enforcement and state records.
According to police, Smith began his assault a few months ago when he battered resident, Jo Manning outside her South Beach home.
Manning, an 83-year-old Miami Beach preservationist and advocate, said Smith threatened to hurt her if she didn’t give him all of her money.
“Give me all your money now, or I’m going to hurt you,” said Manning.
Manning turned out OK and Smith was found hours later by police. But he wasn’t going down without a fight.
Police body camera video shows the struggle with police which, they said, resulted in a battery of a law enforcement officer.
“Don’t…Get off me,” said Smith.
“You don’t tell me what the crime is and whether or not…” said Smith.
“You just (expletive) hit me, (expletive)” said an officer.
A day later, Smith appeared in court where prosecutors laid out their case.
“Very violent with the officers,” said a prosecutor.
Still, Smith was released on his own recognizance weeks after his initial court appearance.
His freedom, despite pending charges, allowed him to encounter his second victim in Miami Beach, Barbara Muckermann.
“I was just, I was just walking in this direction, and he was walking in this direction and he just rammed me!” said Muckermann.
Muckermann, an out-of-country tourist, encountered Smith outside a Walgreens on 41st Street.
“He was very violent. He threw me on the floor. He rammed into me like, you know,” said victim Barbara Muckermann. “He started saying ‘You (expletive)’ threw me on the floor.”
Muckermann ran back inside the Walgreens and police were called.
Police said the manager of the Walgreens helped the victim. The arrest report states “he stated he recognized the subject from a recent news article by WSVN as Perry Smith.”
“Yeah, this is the guy. That’s the guy,” said Muckermann.
“We know this guy. We know,” an officer said.
The officer told the victim and the Walgreens employees that Miami Beach has a recurring problem with homeless offenders.
“We do our work. We bring them to justice, but then they’re back on the streets hours later. Especially when the victims don’t show up to court,” said the officer.
According to a State Attorney memo, that is why Smith was able to be freed after the Manning incident despite having pending charges. The memo stated, “The victim failed to call in and/or appear for two scheduled pre-file conferences.”
Smith remains behind bars on a new charge of disorderly conduct as well as his pending case on battery of a police officer.
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