A Miami-Dade police officer, Raymond Rosario, 44, was suspended with pay after he was arrested for hitting his daughter on a school campus.
The incident was caught on school surveillance video.
Rosario arrived at Pinecrest Cove Preparatory Academy after a teacher called him and stated that his daughter, 14, had been disrespectful to a teacher. When Rosario arrived, he asked for his daughter to be brought to the office.
The video shows Rosario hitting his daughter in the face, aggressively pulling her by the hair, and hitting her with a belt on her legs as school employees sat just feet away.
The woman seen in the video said she did not interfere because she thought Rosario was armed and that, she feared for the victim and the life of [her] unborn child.
Witnesses reported that Rosario “sucker punched” the girl with a closed fist.
Rosario was arrested and charged with felony child abuse. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Officials said that Rosario was relieved of duty, but will receive full pay pending the outcome of an investigation.
Sources say that the teen initially refused to cooperate out of fear of her father.
On Tuesday, May 15, Rosario pled not guilty. Judge Lisa Walsh ordered Rosario to stay away from his daughter and ex-wife until his next hearing, which is scheduled for August 13.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident.