A Warren police officer was charged after he assaulted a prisoner during booking.
Matthew Rodriguez, 48, an officer with 14 years on the force, is facing assault and battery charges. He was arraigned this morning and was given a 5K personal bond.
The incident happened early this week at the Warren police department.
The video shows the officer punching and grabbing the 19-year-old by his locs before slamming & launching him into his cell.
Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer says an investigation was launched after the two officers in the video stepped up and told a supervisor about the incident.
One officer was telling Rodriguez “That’s enough” multiple times in an attempt to make the officer stop, Dwyer said. At first, they did not know why the officer was attacking him.
Within one week, the officer was arrested, charged, and put on unpaid administrative leave, said Dwyer. The officer in the video also was out of policy and was not wearing bodycam.
The arrestee never filed a complaint or requested medical attention.
“The essence of this press conference goes to the heart of who has a duty in this case,” Dwyer said. “The police did what they were supposed to. They had a duty to report and a duty to intervene.”
