NEWARK – Two Newark Police officers received disciplinary sanctions for their actions, according to a quarterly review of internal investigations conducted by the department.
Officer Derrick Beach received a 20 hour suspension without pay and his probationary period with the department was extended by nine months following an investigation.
The investigation was a result of concerns raised by fellow officers related to Beach’s conduct when arresting a suspect on April 12.
According to the investigation, Beach and other officers had been involved in a foot pursuit with the suspect. When the suspect was caught, multiple officers were involved in subduing him and placing him under arrest.
Officers involved reported Beach had punched the suspect in the stomach area after he had been subdued, according to the investigation documents.
Beach said he struck the suspect in an effort to subdue him before he was handcuffed and while the suspect was actively resisting, according to the investigation.
Beach reported the incident to a deputy chief who responded to the scene.
There was no dash camera footage available of the incident to determine at what point Beach punched the suspect, according to the investigation. The investigation said Beach may have used reasonable force if the suspect was not yet in custody.
However, Beach failed to properly document the incident and made an unprofessional comment about suspects not being able to decide when an incident is over to another officer.
He was disciplined for those actions.
Beach was hired in June 2016 and was still on his probationary period with the department. That probation period was extended by nine months. He also was suspended for 20 hours without pay.
A second officer received a referral to the city’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) after becoming angry during a May 16 meeting with an assistant prosecutor at the Licking County Prosecutor’s Office.
The officer reportedly stormed out of the meeting and slammed a door at the county building, causing more than $300 in damages.
The officer had received a written reprimand for failing to obey a direct order in June 2016 and a one day suspension in February for not making a report of a crash in a timely manner.
On June 27, the department sent the formal referral to EAP for the officer.
The Advocate is not naming the second officer because they did not receive a suspension, in accordance with the paper’s policy.
Source: http://www.newarkadvocate.com