Hearing held for Detroit police officer accused of assaulting woman at hospital

Dewayne Jones

DETROIT – A court hearing was held Wednesday for a Detroit police corporal who is charged in connection with the assault of a hospital patient.

Video from the hospital on Aug. 1, 2018 shows a naked woman violently lashing out at security officers and a Detroit police officer fighting back. That officer, Dewayne Jones, 47, is now facing felony charges.

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The woman in the video is naked, appearing to be in distress. She bit the police officer on the arm and thigh, spit at him and at security officers.

Jones beat the woman with repeated blows to the face and chest. Detroit police Chief James Craig called the video disturbing.

"What's disturbing to me, she had her back turned toward him and he kept striking," he said.

Jones is facing up to five years in prison after being charged with misconduct in office along with misdemeanor assault and battery.

READ: DPD corporal charged in assault of Detroit Medical Center patient

Detroit Police Union President Mark Diaz believes the prosecutor has overreached in the case.

"A person can definitely be maimed by someone biting onto them so the officer did what he felt at that time was appropriate," he said.

Jones was arraigned on Nov. 27 and received a bond of $5,000. He went before Judge Cylenthia Miller on Wednesday for a preliminary examination hearing. 

The hearing is scheduled to resume on Jan. 10, 2019. 

Jones reinstated

Detroit police commissioners voted to reinstate Jones and send him back to work as a police officer. They made their decision in spite of Chief James Craig's recommendation that Jones remain suspended. On Tuesday, Craig said he stands by his decision and didn't want to criticize another police organization.

Jones is an 18-year veteran of the force. 

Watch the video from the hospital here:Â