Trooper gets jail sentence for punching handcuffed suspect

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – A Pennsylvania state trooper convicted of punching a handcuffed man during a drunken-driving arrest has been sentenced to up to a year in jail.

John Sromovsky was captured on video punching 25-year-old Lorenzo Lopez in September 2016, while Lopez was handcuffed and seated in a patrol car.

Prosecutors say Lopez had been crying, and Sromovsky threatened to give him “a reason to cry.” They say Lopez was defenceless and didn’t pose a threat.

Sromovsky was convicted of assault last month. He was sentenced Thursday to 2 1/2 to 12 months in jail.

Sromovsky’s attorney tells Philly.com he will appeal and will remain free pending a ruling on the appeal.

Lopez was living in the U.S. illegally. He was convicted of drunken driving and was turned over to immigration agents.