The NYPD officer who was put on desk duty last year for allegedly stomping on the head of a drug suspect during an arrest captured on amateur video was indicted Tuesday on assault and official misconduct charges, authorities say.
Officer Joel Edouard, an eight-year NYPD veteran, turned himself in at a police precinct in Brooklyn Tuesday morning, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at an afternoon court appearance.
Edouard, 37, is one of the officers seen on amateur video struggling with the 32-year-old suspect during an arrest in Bedford-Stuyvesant in July. After the man was subdued and handcuffed, one of the officers appeared to stomp him on the head while he was face down on the ground. The man's head hit the concrete, causing cuts and subsequent headaches, the district attorney's office said.
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson called the allegations "unacceptable for a police officer."
Edouard's attorney said his client was trying to handcuff the suspect, who allegedly had been drinking on the sidewalk and had marijuana on him, and this is nothing more than a case of an officer doing his job.
The alleged stomping came less than a week after the July 17 chokehold death of Eric Garner. Garner's altercation was also captured on amateur video.
Attorney information for Edouard wasn't immediately available.
