Family demands justice after BSO deputies are seen on camera punching a Broward man while arresting him
Family demands answers after video shows Broward deputies punching man during arrest
A family is calling for accountability after video captured Broward Sheriff's Office deputies punching a man during an arrest in Tamarac on Tuesday.
The video, recorded by drivers near State Road 7 and Commercial Boulevard, shows 41‑year‑old Christopher Newkirk on the ground as three deputies hold him down. Two of them appear to punch him in the face. His family says the images have been difficult to watch.
"I just can't really believe this happened to my dad. It's heartbreaking," his daughter, Chrishelle Newkirk, said.
Newkirk's sister, Aubre Fields, rushed to the scene after seeing the video online but did not find her brother there. She said she feared the worst.
A booking photo released after the arrest shows a large gash on Newkirk's face and injuries to his eyes. Fields said the image made her angry.
"I know what my brother looked like before that. That's what I want the world to see," she said.
BSO deputies initially pulled Newkirk over for illegally tinted windows. According to court documents, deputies searched him after learning he was on probation for armed trafficking of narcotics. They reported finding drugs under his waistband and said Newkirk began to struggle.
He is charged with multiple counts of battery on an officer, resisting arrest and possession of multiple drugs with intent to sell.
In their report, deputies wrote that Newkirk "intentionally engaged in a violent physical struggle with the detectives on scene, striking all three of us and displaying extreme violent behavior."
Newkirk's family disputes that description. They acknowledge his history of drug‑related charges but insist he is not violent.
"Never in a million years would my dad hit an officer," his daughter said. "Even with my dad's past, he would never put his hands on an officer, ever."
Chrishelle Newkirk said she has not been able to speak with her father since his arrest and wants to see body camera footage.
"I need to talk to my dad and I need to see him face‑to‑face," she said. "I need to see the body cam. I need to see everything."
Fields said the deputies involved should be held accountable.
"If you get to that low point right there, you should take your badge and your gun and give it to the chief," she said.
The Broward Sheriff's Office said its Internal Affairs Unit is reviewing the case. The incident will also be examined by the agency's Use of Force Review Board.