Current:Home > MarketsDetroit-area officer sentenced to prison for assaulting man after his arrest-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Detroit-area officer sentenced to prison for assaulting man after his arrest
View Date:2024-12-23 15:20:42
DETROIT (AP) — A suburban Detroit police officer who punched a young Black man in the face and slammed his head to the ground was sentenced Tuesday to a year in federal prison for a civil rights violation.
“I wonder what would have happened if the cameras weren’t working in that booking room,” U.S. District Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey said.
Matthew Rodriguez, a police officer for 30 years, has acknowledged using unreasonable force against the 19-year-old man while processing him at the Warren jail following an arrest in June 2023. He apparently was provoked by a verbal insult.
Rodriguez was fired by the Warren police department, which released video of the incident.
Grey sentenced him to a year and a day in prison. A 366-day sentence triggers credit for good behavior in the federal system, which means Rodriguez will likely spend less than a year in custody.
“Physical abuse of detainees is completely unacceptable and undermines public confidence in the integrity of law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said.
Grey noted that Rodriguez even asked the man to apologize for the insult after he roughed him up.
“Whether you have power or not, humanity must be respected,” the judge said.
Rodriguez did not speak in court. His work history included using unnecessary force against a student at a Warren school in 2017, the judge said.
Defense attorney Steve Fishman tried to keep Rodriguez out of prison. He said he doubted that a prison sentence would deter other officers from committing misconduct, noting the weekend handcuffing of NFL star Tyreek Hill in Miami and the May arrest of pro golfer Scottie Scheffler in Louisville, Kentucky.
“I think the judge was fair,” Fishman said outside court.
___
Follow Ed White at https://twitter.com/edwritez
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Kristin Cavallari's Ex Mark Estes Jokingly Proposed to This Love Island USA Star
- A Russian journalist who covered Navalny’s trials is jailed in Moscow on charges of extremism
- Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
- Bear that injured 5 during rampage shot dead, Slovakia officials say — but critics say the wrong bear was killed
- Jana Duggar Reveals She's Adjusting to City Life Amid Move Away From Farm
- DA suggests Donald Trump violated gag order with post about daughter of hush-money trial judge
- The Moscow concert massacre was a major security blunder. What’s behind that failure?
- Maine governor proposes budget revisions to fund housing and child care before April adjournment
- Nicole Scherzinger receives support from 'The View' hosts after election post controversy
- Women’s March Madness highlights: Texas' suffocating defense overwhelms Gonzaga
Ranking
- Brands Our Editors Are Thankful For in 2024
- A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
- California woman says her bloody bedroom was not a crime scene
- Kelly Osbourne Swaps Out Signature Purple Hair for Icy Look in New Transformation
- Food prices worried most voters, but Trump’s plans likely won’t lower their grocery bills
- Midwest Maple Syrup Producers Adapt to Record Warm Winter, Uncertainty as Climate Changes
- Connecticut will try to do what nobody has done in March Madness: Stop Illinois star Terrence Shannon
- Baltimore bridge collapse victim, father of three, was fighting for us always, wife tells WJZ
Recommendation
-
More human remains from Philadelphia’s 1985 MOVE bombing have been found at a museum
-
LSU star and Baltimore native Angel Reese on bridge collapse: 'I'm praying for Baltimore'
-
Chicago-area doctor sexually abused more than 300 patients and hospitals ignored it, lawsuit claims
-
Arkansas, local officials mark anniversary of tornadoes that killed four and destroyed homes
-
Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
-
Barcelona's Sagrada Familia church expected to be completed in 2026
-
The Moscow concert massacre was a major security blunder. What’s behind that failure?
-
Riley Strain Honored at Funeral Service