BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — An NYPD officer caught on video stomping on a suspect’s head was found guilty of assault Friday, according to prosecutors.
Joel Edouard, 38, was working out of Bedford-Stuyvesant’s 81st Precinct during the July 2014 arrest when he was seen pointing his gun at 32-year-old Jahmi-El Cuffee and stepping on the suspect’s head while he was on the ground, officials said.
Edouard and his partner had seen Cuffee drinking on the sidewalk near Malcolm X Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue with what appeared to be marijuana, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said.
As the officers attempted to arrest him, Cuffee resisted, according to prosecutors, and more officers arrived on scene to assist.
Police can be seen on video trying to handcuff Cuffee as Eduoard pulls out his gun and points it at the suspect.
The officer walks away briefly, then returns and stomps on Cuffee’s head, the DA’s office said, causing him to suffer a contusion, dizziness, headaches and nausea after his head hit the concrete.
“This police officer, in broad daylight and in front of a crowd of people, stomped on the head of a suspect while he lay on the ground, subdued and surrounded by other officers,” Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson said in a statement.
“That's why he was indicted, put on trial and convicted. His conduct was simply outrageous."
Edouard faces up to one year in jail when he’s sentenced on June 10, officials said.
His attorney, Anthony Ricco, could not immediately be reached for comment, but told CBS that he was “very disappointed” with the verdict.
“At this point, what we are hoping for is that the police commissioner will save the job of a good man, a good father and a terrific New York City police officer,” Ricco told the station.
Edouard remains suspended from the force, according to CBS.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
