Police Officer Sentenced to 63 Months for Kicking in Suspect’s Teeth

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/06/24/police-officer-sentenced-to-63-months-for-kicking-in-suspects-teeth/

A former Des Moines police officer was sentenced on Monday to 63 months in federal prison for kicking a restrained suspect in the face. Although dash cam footage from a patrol car caught the officer kicking in the suspect’s teeth and breaking his nose, Officer Colin Boone did not mention using excessive force in his arrest report. Instead of trying to cover up Officer Boone’s actions, his fellow officers reported the crime to their supervisors after learning Boone had submitted a false narrative.

Early on the morning of February 19, 2013, Orville Hill was driving his minivan on an icy road when he accidentally crashed into a concrete barrier. After several Des Moines police officers arrived on the scene, Hill panicked and attempted to drive away. The officers immediately pulled Hill from the van and threw him onto the ground before restraining him.

Dash cam footage revealed three officers holding Hill on the ground and a fourth cop standing over him when Officer Colin Boone ran up to them viciously kicking Hill in the face. Although Hill had been lying facedown and was not attempting to attack the officers, Boone knocked out two of his front teeth and broke his nose. After the incident, Hill was taken to Broadlawns Medical Center for treatment and stitches.

In his arrest report, Boone failed to mention using excessive force on the restrained suspect. Instead of trying to cover up the incident, Boone’s fellow officers reported the abuse to their supervisors. Dash cam footage from a patrol car verified their allegations against Boone.

[Angry Dragon]

1. good on the other officers

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. Boone must not have been well-liked on the force. nt

[Stellar]

29. At least that's what I've been asking for all along. If there are some good cops out there....

let them show themselves, instead of being so damned quite!

[winstars]

31. They probably realized the dash cam recorded everything and HAD TO RAT the scumbag out...

I would bet a lot THAT IF THERE WAS NO DASH CAM, they would have NEVER reported their fellow officer.



Or, nobody liked him...

[tularetom]

2. That's what it's gonna take

No conspiracies of silence, just doing their job.

[DashOneBravo]

3. Good for those LEO's

[eridani]

7. Hope we will see more of this, given the ubiquity of smartphones

Essential backup to dashcams, IMO.

[DashOneBravo]

30. I agree Ma'am

Smartphones are a good tool. I also think this happens a lot but it's just not reported. There are a lot of good LEO's out there.

[Snobblevitch]

4. I wonder why the LEO

will do his time in a federal prison. The only thing I can come up with is tgat federal prisons are easier prisons in which to segregate inmates.

[ncjustice80]

13. Why segregate him? n/t

[Snobblevitch]

21. Possibly for his safety.

[ncjustice80]

22. BOOOO-HOOOOO ;p

He made his bed, he should lie in it.

[Snobblevitch]

23. The prisons are responsible for prisoners' safety,

whether they are former LEO or convicted murderers.

[Sanity Claws]

17. My guess is that it was a federal prosecution

Nothing in the article indicates who filed the criminal charges.

[Snobblevitch]

20. I thought of that, but I can't think of why this was a federal case.

[Sanity Claws]

24. Possibilities

Could it have happened on federal land? If it happened on federal land, the feds could have prosecuted.

Feds could have prosecuted it as a criminal civil rights violation. They sometimes do that. See http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/deputy-sheriff-convicted-withholding-evidence-favorable-defendant

[Snobblevitch]

25. That is an interesting point.

I also think the reporter could have included in the story why this was a federal case.

[ohheckyeah]

26. He's in Federal

prison because it was a civil rights violation he was charged with which is a federal violation.
Boone was convicted of violating Hill’s civil rights by using unreasonable force on March 13. He was sentenced on Monday to 63 months in federal prison.

[Snobblevitch]

27. Yeah, that was suggested.

I wish the charges had been included in the story.

[ohheckyeah]

28. They are. I added it to my previous post.

[hifiguy]

6. For once justice is done. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. good

[awoke_in_2003]

9. Finally-

maybe some more will start stepping up. Good on these guys.

[christx30]

10. It would help if we start prosecuting those silent cops

for failing to report the crimes of their peers, or helping to cover it up.

[kath]

12. Yes, they should be prosecuted as accessories or conspirators.

[awoke_in_2003]

14. Yep...

they are aiding and abetting.

[uponit7771]

16. +1

[kath]

11. FINALLY some actual good cops.

If only more of them would break the code of Omerta (they and their unions generally act like the Mob)

[lpbk2713]

15. By his actions Boone justifies why people run from the police.

Even when they are completely innocent. No one wants to be beat up by
someone who has a free pass on treating people any way they want to.

[the band leader]

18. His 63 months in prison are just the beginning of his new life as a felon. nt

[ncjustice80]

19. Will probably be the end of it as well.

These tears are real...honest...