A Tampa police officer has been suspended after it was determined he used “excessive” force when he kicked a suspect in the head, the police department said.
Officer BV, who has been employed with the police department for six years, was issued a 30-day suspension for his actions during the April 14 arrest, according to officials.
Authorities had been conducting surveillance on a black Hyundai Sonata that night. According to police, the driver, 31-year-old Charles Wilson, had fled from multiple previous traffic stops.
Officers spotted the vehicle just before 9 p.m. at the intersection of North Nebraska Avenue and East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. They tried to initiate another traffic stop, but said Wilson refused to pull over.
A helicopter unit maintained visuals on the Hyundia. Wilson was eventually seen getting out of the car and running near East New Orleans Avenue, according to officials. Police said Wilson tossed a crossbody bag on the ground as he was running.
Wilson continued running through residents’ yards before stopping at the back porch of a home on North 9th Street, where Officer V confronted him, the police department said.
Officials said V believed Wilson was trying to enter the home. Video released by the police department Wednesday showed V holding Wilson at gunpoint and repeatedly yelling at him to get on the ground.
V could be heard shouting in the video, saying, “Get on the f****** ground. F***** do it. Get on the f***** ground. On the ground. On your stomach. On your f****** stomach.”
Wilson dropped to his knees with his hands up as V yelled. The video then showed V kicking Wilson in the head. Wilson fell to his side and laid on the ground as he was handcuffed.
The shift commander on duty began a “quality assurance review” after seeing the pursuit, kick and arrest, according to the police department. Officials said V was immediately relieved of duty and an internal investigation was initiated.
Investigators concluded that V’s actions and language used were in violation of police department policies and procedures.
The police department further stated that V’s use of force was “unreasonable, excessive, and was not necessary to safely take the subject into custody,” writing that “his conduct compromised the professionalism, ethics, and objectives expected of a Tampa Police Officer.”
In a news release, Chief Lee Bercaw said Wilson’s arrest was necessary, but the way it was carried out was not. The release noted that Wilson is a 12-time convicted felon. Officers said they found a loaded handgun and 38.3 grams of marijuana in the crossbody bag Wilson discarded.
“The arrest itself may have made our city safer; however, the manner in which we perform our duty is as important as the outcome,” Bercaw said. “The officer should have used better judgement, restraint, and understanding in his actions.”
Officials said V has only been disciplined one other time since he was hired. It was for a traffic infraction, according to the police department.
Wilson faces multiple charges including felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, tampering with physical evidence, fleeing and attempting to elude police, driving while license revoked, resisting officer without violence, and possession of cannabis.
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Source: wfla
