A police officer in Warren, Michigan was charged with assault on Tuesday after video confirmed him punching a 19-year-old Black male within the face, pulling his hair, and slamming him into the bottom.
The video exhibits Officer Matthew Rodriguez, 48, and the 19-year-old alternate phrases as he was being processed into the jail on June 13. Rodriguez stood as much as seize paperwork off of the printer and punched the male in his face. He picked the teenager up and slammed him to the bottom.
Rodriguez then grabbed the male by his locs and mushed his head into the ground earlier than two different officers shortly intervened. The officers pulled the male up and Rodriguez threw him right into a jail cell.
The 19-year-old was arrested for a number of felony fees. His identification nor his fees have been revealed.
“No badge or uniform can defend anybody from accountability,” Macomb County prosecutor Pete Lucido mentioned.
Based on the Detroit Information, Rodriguez was charged with willful neglect of responsibility and assault. Each fees are misdemeanors and his bond was set at $5,000. He was additionally positioned on paid depart and is ready to have a listening to with Police Commissioner William Dwyer on June 23 to find out whether or not if he’s fired.
“The footage … is gloomy, and it’s upsetting to each member of this division,” Dwyer mentioned. “The explanation we’re right here right now is to be clear and to tell the general public that acts of misconduct is not going to be tolerated. The Warren Police Division has not obtained a citizen’s grievance; my administration self-initiated this investigation.”
Dwyer additionally laid out the timeline of the occasions.
“The officer takes custody of the arrestee at 6:06 a.m.,” Dwyer mentioned. “He delivered the primary strike at 6:08 a.m. and 37 seconds (later) … two different officers responded and intervened … a mere 6 seconds after seeing the primary strike.”
He added that the incident was reported at 7:15 a.m. that day and supervisors relayed the information to police administration at 8 a.m., in keeping with the Detroit Information. Dwyer mentioned an inner investigation was launched by 8:10 a.m. and Rodriguez was positioned on paid depart by 9 a.m., per the contract with Police Officers Affiliation of Warren union.
Dwyer mentioned that arrestee was despatched to the hospital by his orders to ensure he wasn’t injured as a result of he didn’t request medical consideration. The prisoner was returned to his cell with no bodily accidents reported after which transferred at 4:10 p.m. to Macomb County Jail on that very same day.
Dwyer praised the 2 officers who instantly intervened to defuse the scenario and in addition reported it to managers afterwards.
“I’ve nothing however respect for them,” Dwyer mentioned. “These officers did their responsibility and reported their fellow officer as a result of it was the best factor to do.”
Rodriguez has been with the Warren Police Division for 14 years. Warren is positioned virtually 19 miles north of Detroit. No data was launched on whether or not if Rodriguez employed a lawyer or not.
“This case does present that the system and our insurance policies do work,” Lucido mentioned. “If it weren’t for the reporting and evaluate of this incident, we might have by no means identified about it.”
Lucido additionally added that Rodriguez wasn’t charged with felony assault as a result of “there wasn’t an harm.”
