Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a New York City Police Officer has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with third-degree assault and other charges for allegedly stomping on the head of a suspect while he was face down on the ground and being handcuffed by other officers.
District Attorney Thompson said, “Police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us all safe. However, this defendant allegedly stomped on the head of a suspect as he lay on the ground, which is unacceptable for a police officer. While a serious matter, this indictment should not reflect on the great work being done throughout the city by the vast majority of police officers who perform their duties honorably.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Joel Edouard, 37, who was assigned to the 81st precinct at the time of the incident. Edouard, who is a New York City Police Officer, was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which he is charged with one count of third-degree assault, one count of third-degree attempted assault and one count of official misconduct. He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court on March 24, 2015. If convicted, he faces up to one year in jail.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on July 23, 2014, at about 7:30 p.m., in the vicinity of 223 Malcolm X Boulevard, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, the defendant and his partner allegedly observed Jahmiel Cuffee, 32, drinking on the sidewalk and possessing what appeared to be marijuana. Cuffee resisted arrest and tussled with the officers. Additional officers arrived on the scene to assist Officer Edouard and his partner.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, a witness to the incident captured a cell phone video which depicts Cuffie on the ground, face down and being handcuffed. Also depicted on the video is Officer Edouard briefly pointing his gun at Cuffee, walking away from the scene of the arrest and then walking back and stomping on Cuffee’s head as he lay on the ground. Cuffee’s head then hit the concrete, causing him to suffer abrasions and later headaches.
The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detectives assigned to the Internal Affairs Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Internal Affairs Joseph Reznick.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kevin James, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Marc Fliedner, Chief of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.
