Secret Service agent and two others arrested for ‘prolonged’ hazing in Miami

Key Points:

• A US Secret Service agent, Marquez Christopher Pinder, and two others were arrested in Miami for alleged fraternity hazing involving prolonged beatings with canes and paddles that hospitalized two victims with severe injuries.
• The victims, including a University of Miami graduate student, suffered life-threatening injuries such as kidney damage and required emergency medical interventions like skin grafts and intubation.
• Charges against Pinder, Jared Lamar James, and Elijah Delano Dyous include felony hazing with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, and attempted manslaughter related to a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity initiation ritual.
• Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle emphasized the dangers of hazing, referencing past fatal incidents in Florida and condemning the abuse as criminal.
• Pinder, a 2021 FIU graduate and Secret Service agent since 2023, faces these charges while the agency stated it will address any misconduct after the judicial process; his attorney called the charges "grossly overcharged."