A police officer in Warren, Michigan was charged with assault on Tuesday after video showed him punching a 19-year-old Black male in the face, pulling his hair, and slamming him into the ground.
The video shows Officer Matthew Rodriguez, 48, and the 19-year-old exchange words as he was being processed into the jail on June 13. Rodriguez stood up to grab paperwork off of the printer and punched the male in his face. He picked the teen up and slammed him to the ground.
Rodriguez then grabbed the male by his locs and mushed his head into the floor before two other officers quickly intervened. The officers pulled the male up and Rodriguez threw him into a jail cell.
The 19-year-old was arrested for multiple felony charges. His identity nor his charges were revealed.
“No badge or uniform can shield anyone from accountability,” Macomb County prosecutor Pete Lucido said.
According to the Detroit News, Rodriguez was charged with willful neglect of duty and assault. Both charges are misdemeanors and his bond was set at $5,000. He was also placed on paid leave and is set to have a hearing with Police Commissioner William Dwyer on June 23 to determine whether if he is fired.
“The footage … is sad, and it’s upsetting to every member of this department,” Dwyer said. “The reason we are here today is to be transparent and to inform the public that acts of misconduct will not be tolerated. The Warren Police Department has not received a citizen’s complaint; my administration self-initiated this investigation.”
Dwyer also laid out the timeline of the events.
“The officer takes custody of the arrestee at 6:06 a.m.,” Dwyer said. “He delivered the first strike at 6:08 a.m. and 37 seconds (later) … two other officers responded and intervened … a mere 6 seconds after seeing the first strike.”
He added that the incident was reported at 7:15 a.m. that day and…
Read the full article here
