By Ed White
Associated Press
DETROIT — A suburban Detroit police officer who punched a man in the face and slammed his head to the ground was sentenced Tuesday to a year in federal prison for a civil rights violation.
“This enhanced situational awareness can improve decision-making, response times and overall officer safety,” LAPD Deputy Chief John McMahon stated
Vidor PD Officers Michael Stephenson and Ashton Moss were the first to arrive at the scene where they broke a window AC unit away from a window to free the children
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“I am unwilling to let my attention be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD,” Edward Caban stated
Matthew Rodriguez, a police officer for 30 years, has acknowledged using unreasonable force against the 19-year-old man while processing him at the Warren jail following an arrest in June 2023. He apparently was provoked by a verbal insult.
Rodriguez was fired by the Warren police department, which released video of the incident.
Grey sentenced him to a year and a day in prison. A 366-day sentence triggers credit for good behavior in the federal system, which means Rodriguez will likely spend less than a year in custody.
“Physical abuse of detainees is completely unacceptable and undermines public confidence in the integrity of law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said.
Grey noted that Rodriguez asked the man to apologize for the insult after hitting him.
“Whether you have power or not, humanity must be respected,” the judge said.
