A South Bend Police Corporal is accused of "conduct unbecoming of an officer."
29-year-old Corporal Jason King will face the Board of Public Safety next month. In a quick meeting Wednesday morning a formal hearing for King was set.
Recently, the Police Chief recommended discipline for King after he tried to cover up beating a man when he fled police in a car. The South Bend Police Corporal is accused of using excessive force and falsifying a police report after a high speed chase.
“The captain reviewed the tape and both he and internal affairs handled investigation simultaneously,” says Captain Phil Trent, spokesperson for South Bend Police.
It was random dash cam check that prompted a disciplinary letter from the chief to the Board of Public Safety.
“This was the shift captain routinely reviewing pursuit videos and use of force video from the in car cameras and he saw what he believed that it was a violation of our duty manual, he passed it up the chain to the chief,” explains Trent.
Back in February a police pursuit started on the southwest side of South Bend's side lasting a mile and half. Police say it ended when the suspect crashed his car. Dash cam video allegedly showed King beating the suspect with his fist while the suspect did not resist arrest.
In the chief's letter to the board he states "the DVD shows no sign of aggression by the suspect" and "he was struck several times in the upper back and head area.”
During King's four years at the department he's been no stranger to the spotlight.
In 2006 he shot and killed a man while being attacked. King was eventually cleared in the shooting. And a year later he was in a car accident, hitting another officer, on his way to a call. He was not disciplined.
Now King will face the board next month in the incident caught on tape.
“We're waiting to see what his opinions are and what he has to say to defend himself,” says Trent.
Currently King is working at the department under light duty for medical reasons.
The chief has recommended he be demoted from corporal to patrolman for a year and suspended for 30 days without pay.
His hearing is scheduled for May 11th. The dash cam DVD of the incident could be released as evidence at the hearing.
____________________
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2009/04/cpl-jason-king-accused-of-hitting-man.html
No comments:
Post a Comment