Current:Home > FinanceEx-Delaware officer sentenced to probation on assault conviction -Secure Growth Academy
Ex-Delaware officer sentenced to probation on assault conviction
View
Date:2025-04-14 19:53:10
DOVER, Del. (AP) — A former Delaware police officer convicted of assault and other charges in connection with a 2021 arrest has been sentenced to probation.
A jury last year convicted former Wilmington officer Samuel Waters of misdemeanor assault, official misconduct and evidence-tampering in the arrest that led to demonstrations after videos were posted on social media. He was acquitted of felony perjury in the case as well as another assault charge in connection with a separate arrest days earlier.
DelawareOnline reports that prosecutors sought a six-month jail sentence Friday, but defense attorneys successfully argued that since Waters was fired in January 2022 and still faces a federal lawsuit, probation would be more appropriate.
Authorities said Waters confronted a man in a south Wilmington convenience store in September 2021 after police were told that employees of a nearby day care facility were being harassed. Waters is seen on surveillance video approaching the man and speaking to him briefly, then grabbing his arm and turning him toward a plexiglass panel and ultimately shoving him against the panel and slamming his head into it twice before both fall to the floor.
A Wilmington officer who trains others on the use of force testified at trial that department training and policy generally do not endorse bouncing a suspect’s head off a wall. Force to the face, neck and back area are regarded as “red zones” due to the potential for serious injury, and “there was nothing that was going on” to justify that level of force, he said.
Deputy Attorney General Dan McBride, who heads the state attorney general’s office of civil rights and public trust, argued the use of force came within seconds of the encounter and described it as “almost an ambush.”
Judge Francis Jones, however, said he didn’t believe Waters is an ongoing threat to public safety, calling the events “a one-off,” before imposing a sentence of probation. Waters’ attorney said his client intends to appeal his conviction.
veryGood! (787)
Related
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Fed up over bullying, Nevada women take secret video of monster boss. He was later indicted for murder.
- Bears great Steve McMichael is responding to medication in the hospital, family says
- 'Outer Range': Josh Brolin interview teases release date for Season 2 of mystery thriller
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Amazon’s Presidents’ Day Sale Has Thousands of Deals- Get 68% off Dresses, $8 Eyeshadow, and More
- Proposed questions on sexual orientation and gender identity for the Census Bureau’s biggest survey
- Brian Wilson's family speaks out on conservatorship filing amid 'major neurocognitive disorder'
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Nkechi Diallo, Formerly Known as Rachel Dolezal, Speaks Out After Losing Job Over OnlyFans Account
Ranking
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Paul McCartney reunited with stolen 1961 Höfner bass after more than 50 years
- Wendy's adds Cinnabon Pull-Apart to breakfast offerings: See when it's set to hit menus
- 8 states restricted sex ed last year. More could join amid growing parents' rights activism
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Warm Winter Threatens Recreation Revenue in the Upper Midwest
- Maine gunman says reservists were worried he was going to do something because ‘I am capable’
- How Jason Kelce got a luchador mask at Super Bowl after party, and how it'll get back home
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Eras Tour in Australia: Tracking Taylor Swift's secret songs in Melbourne and Sydney
'Footloose' at 40! Every song on the soundtrack, ranked (including that Kenny Loggins gem)
Behind the scenes of CBS News' interview with a Hamas commander in the West Bank
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Louisiana governor declares state of emergency due to police shortage
Hyundai recalls more than 90,000 Genesis vehicles due to fire risk
'Outer Range': Josh Brolin interview teases release date for Season 2 of mystery thriller