Authorities said Tuesday that a suburban Detroit police officer had been charged with assault after video showed him striking a young guy in the face and knocking him to the ground inside the jail.
This isn’t how we operate. When the video was shown to reporters, William Dwyer, the police chief in Warren, said, “This is not who we are.
On June 13, the 19-year-old was being processed at the jail after being detained for several offenses. Officer Matthew Rodriguez and the man can be seen on video exchanging words before the officer punches the victim, knocks him to the ground, and hits him in the head.
Dwyer claimed that additional police immediately stepped in and informed managers of the situation.
Willful neglect of duty and assault, both misdemeanors, were Rodriguez’s charges. A judge set the bond at $5,000. It was unknown if he had a lawyer to offer insight into the proceedings.
Prosecutor Pete Lucido stated, “No badge or uniform can shield anyone from accountability.”
Rodriguez, a 14-year Warren police officer, was given leave. Dwyer commended the police officers for reporting the assault.
“This case does show that the system and our policies do work,” he said. “If it were not for the reporting and review of this incident, we may have never known about it.”
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
