Thread: Cops fired after videos surface of them punching and kicking motorist

(CNN)Two police officers in Georgia were fired Thursday, less than 24 hours after cell phone videos surfaced of them punching and kicking a motorist in handcuffs.

No charges have been filed, but the Gwinnett County Police Department said it's moving forward with a criminal investigation into the incident in the suburban Atlanta county.
On Wednesday, Sgt. Michael Bongiovanni pulled over motorist Demetrius Hollins in a routine traffic stop, according to police Chief Butch Ayers.

In his report, Bongiovanni said the vehicle did not have a license plate and continued moving as he tried to pull it over.

The officer said the vehicle appeared to stall, and he got out to speak to the driver and could smell marijuana. He wrote that Hollins was acting strange and started yelling, "I need my mom."

Bongiovanni, who's been on the force 19 years, wrote he ordered Hollins out of the car, but a struggle ensued.

"Hollins refused to place his hands behind his back, spun around and began to actively resist arrest by bending at the waist and trying to push me away," he wrote in the incident report.

The officer said he had to use a Taser on Hollins and put handcuffs on him while he was on the ground.

Bongiovanni also wrote he remembers detaining the same man in a previous traffic stop, and the man was allegedly found with a loaded gun.

"In my previous encounter he reached for a loaded firearm that was under his seat," he wrote in his report.
In a cell phone video shot by a witness that emerged Wednesday night, Officer Robert McDonald, who was responding to assist Bongiovanni, emerges from offscreen and kicks Hollins while he is on the ground.

The department says an investigation into McDonald's actions was launched immediately, and he was fired by midafternoon Thursday.

But the trouble for the department did not end there.

During the investigation, a second video surfaced, shot from a different angle by another witness. In this video, Bongiovanni can be seen approaching Hollins, who is still inside the car. As Hollins exits the vehicle with his hands up, the officer punches him in the face.

As Hollins left the Gwinnett County Jail with a bloodied face Thursday, he told CNN affiliate WSB-TV in Atlanta, "All I can say is, I wish this had never happened to me."

The police department's internal affairs unit questioned Bongiovanni and McDonald about their actions, Ayers said.

McDonald was forthcoming, saying he was wrong for kicking Hollins. But Bongiovanni said in written documents and in-person interviews that a struggle occurred between him and Hollins, according to the police chief.

Bongiovanni was let go by the department for his actions and for lying to investigators, according to Ayers.

On Friday, the county's solicitor general dismissed 89 cases in which the two officers were the principal officers or necessary witnesses.

'That punch was unreasonable'

The chief said he was disturbed by what he saw in the videos and by the actions of his officers.

"(Bongiovanni) had the opportunity to tell us what happened in the report and when he was interviewed by internal affairs. He said nothing about a punch. In this case, what we saw on video, that punch was unreasonable and unnecessary."

Ayers said when Bongiovanni was asked about the discrepancies in his account and the newly surfaced video, he replied, "It's different on the streets."

Ayers said, he was stunned.

"I am almost for a loss of words for what we had to go through today for the unwarranted actions of two of my officers," he said.

"We've put a lot of money into recruiting, training and equipping them, and there is literally no excuse for behavior like this. This is not what we teach in the academy. This is not what we expect from our officers, and we aren't going to put up with it."
McDonald joined the force in 2013 and received high marks from Bongiovanni, his supervisor, during his last performance evaluation.

The evaluation said McDonald "always deals with members of the community in a courteous, professional, calm and controlled manner."

The police department said it has launched a criminal investigation that will be sent to the Gwinnett County district attorney's office.

"What happened yesterday was clearly outside of state law and department policy," police said in a statement.

CNN's Sheena Jones and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.

Georgia cops fired after videos surface of them punching and kicking motorist - CNN.com

90 Active cases involving the 2 scumbag cops have been dismissed.

Looks like 90 people arrested by those 2 fucks are getting let off.

Days after two officers in suburban Atlanta were fired when videos surfaced showing them kicking and punching a motorist, authorities have reportedly dismissed nearly 90 cases involving the pair.

The Gwinnett County Solicitor said she is dropping all cases in which Robert McDonald or Michael Bongiovanni were either the principal officer or a necessary witness. Sixty-three cases were dismissed in Gwinnett County Recorder's Court and 26 in Gwinnett County State Court, according to ABC affiliate WSB-TV in Atlanta.

All were misdemeanor or traffic offenses, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Georgia officials dismiss 89 cases linked to fired officers shown kicking, punching motorist - ABC News

The cop is a stupid prick. Why would he do that when half of the population can see?

The act itself is bad enough....being caught on camera is just fucking dumb.

Originally Posted by Slick

and he got out to speak to the driver and could smell marijuana.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT

I can see some big law suits coming down.
Thank god for cameras.

^ Isn't that the truth. The times are gone when cops can lie about an incident and get away with it. In the past, most want to believe cops are the good guys but cameras have proved that to be wrong in many cases.

Black people have known this for years.

Bongiovanni was let go by the department for his actions and for lying to investigators, according to Ayers.

In the UK this would solicit a charge of Perverting the course of justice.

Is there no US equivalent?

Originally Posted by Lantern

I can see some big law suits coming down.
Thank god for cameras.

Seconded.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Bongiovanni was let go by the department for his actions and for lying to investigators, according to Ayers.

In the UK this would solicit a charge of Perverting the course of justice.

Is there no US equivalent?

They've been sacked, summarily and no gardening leave, but charges are being considered and I have no doubt will be laid.

The biggest wrong here is that the D.A thinks it prudent to dismiss 90 active cases!
Why? Is it because it will be a waste of time trying to get convictions after the arresting cops have been shown to be bad? Sounds a bit wimpish.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Sounds a bit wimpish.

Not really. Can't trust any evidence or reports from them at all. Lawyers would have field day. Besides, mainly misdemeanors & traffic violations anyway.

Originally Posted by Slick

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Sounds a bit wimpish.

Not really. Can't trust any evidence or reports from them at all. Lawyers would have field day. Besides, mainly misdemeanors & traffic violations anyway.

MMmm. I get that, but it's still letting offenders off without even trying. If the cops did their job properly in each of those cases, there should be no reason to dismiss. It's hardly a defence to say that the arresting officer did something bad weeks later, therefore the defendant should be let off.
From the sound of it the D.A had a negative kneejerk reaction.


Side issue: Sounds like a lot of cases backed up? Those guys have a heavy workload paper-wise!

Originally Posted by Maanaam

IF they did their job properly in each of those cases, then the cases should go to trial.

There's nothing to suggest that they stuck to the rules as;
"when Bongiovanni was asked about the discrepancies in his account and the newly surfaced video, he replied, "It's different on the streets."

The D.A is either having a bad kneejerk or she knows something we don't,

Of course she knows more about it than we do. What makes you think otherwise?

if it is known their previous MO was dodgy, why wasn't something done about it sooner?

Because their dodgy behaviour only got exposed after their last escapade.

Jumping to conclusions as usual.
You may be right, but you are jumping without any knowledge.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

and as I said IF they did their job properly in each of those cases, then the cases should go to trial.

Thats the thing. What they did was so over the top fucked up, and then they lied about it in their reports. Clearly they have no problem with it. They can not be trusted to 'do their job properly'.

Everything they have done is now massively questionable and I wouldn't doubt that people convicted & sitting in jail due those 2 kunts have an opportunity to get off as well.

The end of the day, police reports & testimony are a huge part of cases and whey they can't be trusted then its all over.

If you believe that some of those people should still have their cases pushed... Only people you should be frustrated with are those 2 cops. Not the DA. Those 2 cops fucked it all up by being sick motherfuckers and the blame should be hung squarely on their shoulders.

And I have no doubt that they will be criminally prosecuted for their actions as well.

^ I absolutely take your point.
I'm suggesting that a terrible handling of one arrest today does not mean all previous arrests are doubtful.
What's that legal term about innocent until proven guilty? Presumption of innocence.
If every historical arrest and conviction is dismissed or overturned on the basis of later lies and misbehaviour by a cop you'd probably ease the prison over-crowding problem.
And have a lot of guilty crims on the street.
The DA should look at all the case notes of those 98 charges and see if there's any hint of complaint from the arrested people before dismissing the cases.

Using your reasoning, Trump's lies this week mean that we can't trust his swearing in two months ago as it too may be a lie and thus he must be removed.

Two less white trash pigs on the streets of Whitetrashland.

They'll be working doors soon, pulling the same tricks.

Matter of time before they get a bullet.

I'm sure they will find a position in homeland security, or immigration, or border patrol or something in a uniform with big gold badges....