A late-night arrest outside a North Miami Beach strip club has turned into an international flashpoint and a fresh lawsuit, with former Florida International University hospitality student Matteo Falcinelli accusing local police of hog-tying him in a holding cell and wrecking his life.
Falcinelli has sued both the City of North Miami Beach and its police department, alleging officers strapped his wrists and ankles together inside a station cell after a February 2024 arrest outside Dean’s Gold. The new filings put renewed heat on body-camera footage that spread last year and put the department’s restraint policies under the microscope.
He was arrested in the early morning hours of Feb. 25, 2024, outside Dean’s Gold after a dispute in which he told officers he wanted his cellphone back, according to earlier reporting. Body-camera clips released that spring, examined by Miami New Times, show officers restraining him in a holding cell and securing his hands and ankles with a strap. The footage drew local and international attention and raised pointed questions about how and why that tactic was used.
What the complaint says
The lawsuit alleges Falcinelli was hog-tied in a North Miami Beach police holding cell and that he suffered physical and psychological injuries, including paranoia and post-traumatic stress, according to reporting on the complaint. The suit names officers Daniel Ruiz and Michel Saint Amour and seeks at least $50,000 in damages, per the Miami Herald…