Officer who hit suspect suspended; sergeant demoted

MANCHESTER, Conn. – A Connecticut police officer has been suspended after hitting a suspect in the head twice during an arrest, and a sergeant has been demoted for errors in related paperwork.

The Journal Inquirer reports than an internal investigation found Manchester police Officer Robert Johnson was justified in hitting the man, but might have escalated the confrontation with aggressive language and actions.

The report says Johnson may have been upset because the suspect had spit on him and used a racial slur.

Johnson was suspended for five days. He said he “dealt with what was presented.”

The investigation also determined Sgt. Cleon Moses incorrectly reported that Johnson hit the man in the chest, not the head, despite video evidence. Moses said he made a mistake while rushing through paperwork.

___

Information from: Journal Inquirer, http://www.journalinquirer.com