A New York police officer who was caught on tape stomping on a man’s head has been indicted for assault, according to the New York Daily News.
NYPD Officer Joel Edouard is the third case pursued by Brooklyn prosecutors on police brutality, with at least six more expected in the next few months.
In cell phone video footage of the arrest of 32-year-old Jahmiel Cuffee, several cops can be seen holding Cuffee down as he pleads, “Help me.”
Edouard pulls out his gun but then holsters it, walks away, and then comes back to kick Cuffee in the head. Another cop then pushes him as the gathered crowd gasps.
Cuffee was charged with attempted tampering with evidence, obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.
Watch the shocking footage below:
“There was no evidence of marijuana,” a law enforcement source said, despite claims by the officers involved that they saw him throwing away a joint. Cuffee’s case was dropped in December.
Edouard was placed on modified duty in July until the grand jury heard only a misdemeanor assault charge against him, which carries a sentence of one year in jail.
The case against Edouard occurred just days after the choking death of Eric Garner brought the national spotlight down on police brutality in actions caught on tape.
Edouard is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday.