NY Daily News – by CHRISTINA CARREGA-WOODBY
A nine-year veteran with the NYPD may lose his job after a Brooklyn judge on Friday found him guilty of “gratuitously” stomping on the head of a suspect during an arrest.
Officer Joel Edouard “let down his fellow officers by losing his composure in an admittedly difficult situation,” said Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Alan Marrus.
Edouard, 37, faces up to a year in jail for intentionally stomping on Jahmi-El Cuffee’s head on Malcolm X Blvd. on July 23, 2014.
“His conduct was simply outrageous,” Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said of the disgraced cop.
Edouard, who has been on modified duty since the incident, was suspended without pay after the conviction Friday. A final decision about his future with the department will be made later.
“He wants to keep his job and deserves to keep his job,” Edouard’s attorney Anthony Ricco said outside of court after the verdict. “Officer Edouard is an officer we want.”
Cuffee, 34, was spotted by Edouard, who was on patrol in Bedford-Stuyvesant, rolling a marijuana cigarette and drinking alcohol while sitting outside on a fish tank.
The officer and his partner approached Cuffee, who threw away the joint, and asked for his identification.
As they tried to arrest him, Cuffee resisted. A neighbor began filming the incident on his cell phone.
The video shows Edouard briefly pulled out his gun, walked away as backup arrived, made a U-turn back to the commotion and kicked Cuffee in the head.
Edouard testified on his own behalf that he stepped on Cuffee’s hand, not his skull.
“There’s many uncontested facts — 99% are undisputed,” the judge said Friday. There’s no evidence of injuries to Mr. Cuffee’s hand … physical injury was proven by photographs and medical records.”
Marrus determined that Edouard did not have to kick Cuffee to make an arrest and actually “interfered with the other officers.”
Cuffee’s head injury caused him to suffer a contusion and later dizziness, headaches and nausea, prosecutors said.
Before rendering a verdict in the non-jury trial, the judge pointed out a “powerful argument” Edouard’s defense attorney made during his closing arguments Thursday.
A conviction would “reward criminal conduct others engaged in that day and frustrate other police officers in encountering hostile environments and encourage others to lie to the media and perhaps perjure themselves to get money judgement,” the judge said, summarizing the defense attorney’s argument.
“It is not my verdict that would be responsible for any of those results,” the judge said as a response. “It was his conduct that would embolden others to exploit these issues.”
Edouard closed his eyes and held his face in his palms in disbelief as Marrus announced his verdict.
“He gratuitously stomped on the head of a man being restrained by other police officers.” Marrus said. “I find him guilty.”
The judge offered to sentence Edouard immediately after his decision, but prosecutors requested an adjournment until June 10 to discuss a recommendation with the district attorney.
“When they are asked for probation for someone who shot and killed somebody, what are you going to do, put Officer Edouard in jail because a guy, according to Judge Marrus, got kicked in the head?” asked Ricco, referring to the no jail recommendation for ex-cop Peter Liang.
“But, I’m sure they will reach the right decision.”
Liang, 28, was convicted in February of manslaughter — a charge that could have resulted in up to 15 years in prison. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun sentenced him to five years’ probation and 800 hours of community service earlier this month for the fatal shooting of unarmed Akai Gurley in a darkened housing project stairwell.
Thompson had recommended Liang receive a sentence of six months house arrest, 500 hours of community service and five years’ probation.
“He wants to keep his job and deserves to keep his job,” Edouard’s attorney Anthony Ricco said outside of court after the verdict. “Officer Edouard is an officer we want.”
I would like to see American Nations kick your head and your client’s head in until there’s nothing but a bloody stump left.
“His conduct was simply outrageous,” Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said of the disgraced cop.”
In other words, TYPICAL of pig conduct these days.
“Edouard closed his eyes and held his face in his palms in disbelief as Marrus announced his verdict.”
Can’t believe he’s actually being PUNISHED for his despicable CRIMINAL actions?
retard