A Massachusetts police officer allegedly said something about a prisoner’s “black” skin, shoved him against the wall of his cell, punched him, threw him down and kicked him.
Michael Motyka of Worcester was arrested on Thursday and will be arraigned Friday on a civil rights violation, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a deadly weapon — his shoed foot, police said in a statement.
“The majority of the incident was caught on security cameras that are in a fixed position down in the holding cell room,” Worcester police Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst told CNN affiliate WCVB.
The beaten prisoner was awaiting transfer from the Worcester Police Department to a court for arraignment in mid-March and was cuffed and shackled. He filed a complaint, and a witness corroborated his account.
Motyka, a 17-year veteran, is on paid administrative leave and also faces a termination hearing, Worcester police said.