North Miami police officer accused of beating wife over dinner dispute, arrest report says

Officer Alfred Bryant claims he was trying to get frying pan from wife

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – A North Miami police officer was arrested Sunday, a day after a verbal altercation with his wife about dinner turned physical, Miami-Dade police said.

According to an arrest report, Officer Alfred Bryant, 43, was arguing with his wife in their kitchen and threw soapy water in her face.

Police said his wife grabbed a small frying pan and waved it at Bryant before setting it down.

Bryant grabbed his wife by the neck, flipped her onto the floor and hit her head on the ground twice, the report said.

Police said Bryant's wife told them that he stopped attacking her after the children began pleading with him to stop.

Authorities said Bryant provided a statement after his arrest and claimed that he became upset because he spoke to his wife about possibly going out to eat dinner with their children. He said she told him that she had already made food for herself, but the children would go to dinner with him.

Police said Bryant told detectives that he was upset that his wife made food for herself and not their children, and went to the kitchen to prepare food for the children.

Bryant claimed that he "possibly splashed" the victim when he lifted his hands out of the sink, and she picked up a frying pan and walked toward him with it.

Bryant told detectives that he grabbed his wife's wrist and put his arm around her neck while he tried to get the pan from her, the report said.

Police said Bryant claimed that he was wearing socks and lost his footing, causing him and his wife to fall to the floor.

Bryant said he retrieved the pan from his wife and went upstairs to the master bedroom to console his youngest child, who was crying.

Bryant was arrested on a battery charge.

Bryant has been employed by the North Miami Police Department for 14 years and was named officer of the month for the third time in February 2016.


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Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.