NEW YORK CITY — A New York police officer who last year was captured on video stomping on a suspect's head was indicted on assault charges, the Brooklyn district attorney announced Tuesday.
On July 23, NYPD Officer Joel Edouard attempted to arrest a man on suspicion of possessing marijuana in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Him and his partner subdued the suspect, Jahmiel Cuffee, bringing him to the ground and putting him in handcuffs.
A bystander recorded video of the incident on his cellphone. The clip shows Edouard momentarily walking away from Cuffee, only to come back and stomp on the subdued man's head. The Brooklyn DA said in a statement that Cuffee suffered abrasions and headaches as a result of the alleged assault.
"Police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us all safe," Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson said in a statement. "However, this defendant allegedly stomped on the head of a suspect as he lay on the ground, which is unacceptable for a police officer."
The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, the union that represents rank and file officers, declined to comment on the indictment.
Edouard was released without bail on Tuesday. If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison.