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Cop Indicted For Allegedly Stomping On Man's Head During Arrest
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Feb 3, 2015
Modified Mar 25, 2018
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Feb 3, 2015
Modified Mar 25, 2018
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**[UPDATE BELOW]**An NYPD officer will be indicted for assault today after he was caught on video stomping on a suspect's head during a pot possession arrest in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Officer Joel Edouard, 36, was stripped of his gun and reassigned to desk duty following the July 23rd arrest of 32-year-old Jahmiel Cuffee. Edouard allegedly spotted Cuffee rolling a joint and approached him. Cuffee reportedly showed his ID to Edouard and several other officers, then struggled with them while they attempted to arrest him; the officers wrestled the man to the ground before Edouard started stomping on his head. Video captured the entire incident:
Edouard is expected to surrender today, and he will be arraigned on an assault charge in Brooklyn Criminal Court. Cuffee, who was assaulted only a few days after Eric Garner was choked to death by a police officer on Staten Island, told reporters he sustained bumps and scrapes from the incident, and law enforcement sources told the Daily News there was "no evidence of marijuana" at the scene. He was arrested for attempted tampering with evidence, obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, but the charges have since been dismissed.
Edouard's assault charge is a misdemeanor, and he faces up to a year in prison if convicted. The Brooklyn District Attorney's office has no comment on the indictment.
Update 2:49 p.m.: The Brooklyn District Attorney's office confirmed that Officer Joel Edouard was indicted on assault, attempted assault, and official misconduct charges today. "Police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us all safe. However, this defendant allegedly stomped on the head of a suspect as he lay on the ground, which is unacceptable for a police officer," DA Kenneth Thompson said in a statement, adding, "While a serious matter, this indictment should not reflect on the great work being done throughout the city by the vast majority of police officers who perform their duties honorably."
Edouard was released on his own recognizance and will return to court next month.
Tagged
bed stuy
brooklyn
eric garner
Jahmiel Cuffee
joel edouard
nypd
police brutality
Rebecca Fishbein
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