WARREN, Mich. – A Warren police officer is on unpaid leave and facing charges after he punched an inmate in the face, threw him to the ground, and slammed his head violently on the ground.
The attack happened at 6:08 a.m. June 13 at the Warren Police Department jail, and officials announced charges against the officer during a news conference on Tuesday, June 20.
Video shows attack
Warren police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said a 19-year-old Detroit man was arrested between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. June 13 on felony carjacking and weapons charges.
The man was taken to the Warren Police Department jail for booking around 6 a.m. and turned over to the custody of Officer Matthew James Rodriguez, 48, of Southgate.
Rodriguez, who has been with the department since 2008, is a booking officer who has been assigned to the jail on and off for the last several months.
Video shows Rodriguez walking up to the inmate in the fingerprinting room at 6:08 a.m. and punching him in the face after a brief exchange of words.
The punch sent the inmate staggering against the wall, and Rodriguez pushed him, then lifted him into the air by grabbing him on the shoulder and between his legs.
Rodriguez threw the man on the ground and punched him at least two more times before slamming his face on the ground, the video shows.
“This is not what we do, this is not who we are, and this is not what the men and women of this department stand for when they put on the uniform,” Dwyer said.
Two other officers intervened within seconds of the first punch.
“One of the officers reported saying, ‘That’s enough, that’s enough,’ as he worked to de-escalate the overall situation,” Dwyer said.
Dwyer said Rodriguez was not wearing a body camera, which is a policy violation.
At the very end of the video, Rodriguez can be seen throwing the inmate on the ground in a cell and slamming the door.
“This incident happened quickly, very quickly, and was over in the matter of seconds,” Dwyer said.
Officer reported, charged, placed on unpaid leave
Dwyer said the inmate did not file a complaint about the attack, but Rodriguez was reported immediately by his fellow officers, who thought he was out of line.
“This officer’s actions were not at all justified,” Dwyer said. “The actions of this officer are not consistent with our training, our policy, or standards or professionalism we hold ourselves to.”
The Warren Police Department still has not received a complaint, but launched its own internal investigation and placed Rodriguez on administrative leave.
On Tuesday, Macomb County prosecutors charged Rodriguez with two misdemeanor charges: assault and battery and willful neglect of duty. He was arraigned at 37th District Court and given a $5,000 personal bond.
After his arraignment, Rodriguez was placed on unpaid leave.
An employment hearing is scheduled between Rodriguez and Dwyer this week. That hearing will determine the future of Rodriguez’s employment with the department.
Inmate checked at hospital
The inmate didn’t ask for medical attention, but Dwyer ordered for him to be brought to a hospital for evaluation.
The man was taken to the hospital at 9:10 a.m. June 13. He was cleared and returned to his cell three hours later.
He was arraigned on felony charges, given bond, and transferred to the Macomb County Jail at 4:10 p.m. that day.
‘A disgrace, unprofessional, and he’ll pay that price’
Dwyer said Rodriguez is an example of how one officer can tarnish the reputation for everyone in the force.
“You have one person, such as Officer Rodriguez, that gives a black eye to every man and woman that is wearing the blue uniform, serving the public 24/7,” Dwyer said. “It’s something that -- I’ve been in law enforcement for a lot of years -- it pains me to see that an officer like Rodriguez can tarnish the reputation of law enforcement the way he did.
“A disgrace, unprofessional, and he’ll pay that price.”
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said nothing in the video justified Rodriguez’s attack, and that’s what led to the charges.
“There’s no duty to hit anyone,” Lucido said. “There’s no duty to go ahead and do exactly what happened in the video. Unfortunately, as the commissioner’s indicated, that type of behavior tarnishes 27 different local law enforcement agencies around Macomb County, as well as it gives a black eye to the ones that put the badge on and the gun to serve and protect, and that’s no way to serve, nor protect.”
“This is the worst part of the job,” Dwyer said. “It’s not easy to have to take an officer like we did today and have to go through it, but he gets what he deserves. He brought it upon himself, and it’s a shame, but he has tarnished the entire Warren Police Department.”
Dwyer said the other two officers did exactly what they are trained and required to do.
“They saw something out of line,” Dwyer said. “Immediately, they intervened and worked to de-escalate the situation, and ultimately reported the misconduct to a supervisor shortly thereafter.”
You can watch the full news conference below.