A New York police officer will serve 15 months in prison for beating a handcuffed man in his custody, the Justice Department announced Friday.
Joseph Arigo, 47, a former sergeant with the Fulton police department, pleaded guilty in September to beating a suspect who was brought into the police station.
According to court records, Arigo pulled a video camera out of the wall to stop it from recording, then punched the suspect in the head multiple times.
The man “suffered cuts and bruising, lost consciousness and required seven stitches,” the Justice Department said. “After the incident, Arigo lied to his supervisors and in two official reports in an attempt to conceal his actions.”
The sentencing comes at a time of increased tensions over police actions. News outlets this week reported that the Justice Department is unlikely to file civil rights charges against a Ferguson, Missouri, officer involved in the death of black teenager Michael Brown.
Police advocates said that the officer acted in the line of duty while some civil rights advocates have said it is a case of racial biases in law enforcement.
• Phillip Swarts can be reached at pswarts@washingtontimes.com.
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