Two Georgia police officers could face criminal charges for detaining and using excessive force on a wrong suspect.
The encounter resulted in the termination of Sgt. Octavio and Savannah police Cpt. Daniel Kang. Both of them were fired for the incident that occurred in April during a search for a suspect, Savannah’s police department said in a news conference.
Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter said: “The conduct of two members of the Savannah Police Department during this incident were totally unacceptable, egregious behavior.”
It was on April 14 when Kang and Arango responded to a domestic violence report in Abercorn Street and started looking for the suspect.
But the person they detained was ‘mistakenly identified’ and placed in custody.
Arango and Kang informed a supervisor about their use of force, and an internal investigation was launched. It was then discovered that the two officers had violated department policies.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he was ‘horrified’ by what the videos, which were not released publicly.
A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office said to Daily Mail that the bodycam footage ‘was evidence in the case it would not be released until it is presented in court.’
According to Savannah Morning News, Kang allegedly violated three seven department policies while Arango violated seven. The two were placed on administrative leave before they were terminated on July 30.
“I meant what I said on that hot day at the end of May, that it was going to be a new day in Savannah, that Black lives matter, that everyone’s lives matter,” Johnson continued.
“We’re going to support our police department, but yet, we are going to be committed that individuals who do bad things, who don’t respect, serve and protect, will no longer be members of our police department.”
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Replaced!