Fred Kerley, a two-time Olympic medalist sprinter for the United States and one of the fastest runners in the world, was arrested late Thursday night in Miami Beach, Fla., after an altercation with the police in South Beach, a gathering place for tourists that is known for its nightlife.

Mr. Kerley, who won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the men’s 100-meter dash and a bronze in the same event at the 2024 Paris Games, was charged with battery of a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after arguing and then scuffling with officers just off the area’s main thoroughfare, Ocean Drive. The battery charge, a felony, carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Mr. Kerley, who is 29 and from Taylor, Texas, also faces two other felony charges, for robbery and domestic violence in an unrelated case from last May. The police said they had been looking for him in connection with that matter. Those charges include allegations that he choked his wife and stole her phone.

Yale M. Sanford, a lawyer representing Mr. Kerley in this week’s arrest, said the police were in the wrong because a simple conversation with Mr. Kerley could have de-escalated the situation.

“It’s an overstep and, you can even say, an unreasonable use of force that could have been avoided,” Mr. Sanford said.