4 Springfield cops disciplined in beating case
By Associated Press | Friday, October 22, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
SPRINGFIELD – A Springfield police officer was fired Thursday and three others suspended were without pay following allegations that a city man was beaten with a police flashlight during a traffic stop.
Police Commissioner William Fitchet announced the disciplinary actions following a three-day hearing by the Community Police Hearing Board. Fitchet said the evidence reviewed by the board included amateur video of the November arrest of Melvin Jones III.
Officer Jeffrey Asher, who was accused of repeatedly striking Jones with the flashlight, was fired.
Asher, a 17-year veteran of the force, has been out on stress leave since January, shortly after the video surfaced. In September, the Springfield Retirement Board granted Asher a disability retirement, but a state retirement panel has the final say on the matter.
Lt. John Bobianski and Officer Michael Sedergren were suspended without pay for 45 days and Officer Theodore Truo! ilo was suspended without pay for 15 days. All three were ordered to undergo retraining upon their return to duty, and Sedergren was ordered to go through anger management retraining.
Bobianski, Sedergren and Truoilo were present when Jones was pulled over and arrested on a charge of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.
They said Jones grabbed for an officer’s gun and that Asher was justified to use force to subdue him.
The Springfield police union, which had defended the actions of the officers, could not be reached Thursday night.
“The men and women of the Springfield Police Department continue to protect and serve the public in a professional manner,” Fitchet said in his statement. “The citizens who live and work in the City of Springfield should have confidence, like I do, in their abilities to keep our city safe.”
As a result of the probe, Fitchet said he was forming a standards unit to work with the department’s existing! internal affairs unit to review reports of anyone in police custody r equesting medical treatment due to injury. Jones’ family said the beating left him partially blind in one eye and with broken bones in his face.
The criminal charge against Jones is pending.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1290574
