By Aaron Miller-
Transgender influencer Nikita Dragun(pictured) was kept in the men’s unit of a jail in Miami on Wednesday before she was later released.
The 26-year-old beauty influencer was arrested at the Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach on Monday after being charged with misdemeanour, disorderly conduct and felony battery of a law enforcement officer, according to legal documents.
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The popular YouTuber with more than 3.5 million subscribers on the video sharing platform and also has more than nine million Instagram followers. She publicly came out as transgender in 2015, announcing the news on her YouTube channel.
Cops responded to reports of someone at the hotel being “extremely disorderly,” and playing loud music in their room. It states when hotel security and police officers knocked on her door, Dragun slammed it, and then swung “an open water bottle” at them. She was arrested on a felony assault charge, misdemeanor battery, and disorderly conduct.
According to the police reports, the YouTuber was ‘causing a disturbance for a long period of time’ and wandering around ‘unclothed’. She allegedly also poured a water bottle at both a security guard and a police officer.
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Following her arrest, Dragun was taken to a men’s unit of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County.
Dragun was then released from police custody without bail requirements two days later.
A representative for Dragun later denounced the decision to keep her on a men’s unit during her time in custody.
Jack Ketsoyan said: “The situation with Nikita, who is legally female, being placed in a men’s unit of a Florida jail is extremely disturbing and dangerous.
“This decision made by the Miami-Dade County corrections department directly violates their protocol, which mandates that transgender inmates are classified and housed based on safety needs and gender identity.
“Nikita has been released and is now safe.”
Dragun also reportedly asked the judge whether she would have to remain on the men’s unit at her hearing.
Dragun, who is a transgender woman, was identified on the arrest affidavit as “male.” In a video of Dragun’s appearance in the bond court, obtained by NBC South Florida, Judge Mindy S. Glazer asks Dragun which pronouns she wanted to be referred as, to which she responds “she and her.”
At that point, the judge replied that she does not ‘make the rules’ and asked for the request to be redirected to the correctional facility in order to find a separate and more suitable place for Dragun to stay.
The reports that Dragun had been held in men’s unit, issuing a statement to Insider that it was “committed to protecting the rights of the transgender community and of all LGBTQ people” and followed appropriate procedures for intake of transgender persons while booking Dragun.
“Inmate Dragun never made it beyond the booking process prior to release; therefore, she was never placed in a men’s unit. All inmates undergoing our intake process remain in an open seating (open booking) area, in the presence of correctional staff,” the statement said. “Additionally, inmate Dragun was placed in a holding cell by herself due to her high profile status before being released, and she was escorted by an LGBTQ officer during her time at the corrections facility.”
Ketsoyan confirmed that Dragun was “released and is now safe.” She will have a court date in December and has been banned from The Goodtime Hotel.
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