Crime & Safety

Wallingford Police Officer Suspended For Excessive Force: Report

The police officer recently served a suspension for reportedly punching a handcuffed suspect in the head.

WALLINGFORD, CT — A Wallingford police officer recently served a two-week suspension in connection to an excessive use of force case, according to the Meriden Record-Journal.

The Record-Journal reports Officer Joseph Smith was suspended for reportedly punching a handcuffed suspect in the head and knocking him unconscious. The suspect, 26-year-old Gary Joseph King, was reportedly resisting officers’ efforts to gain control of him during an arrest for a domestic violence incident on June 14, according to the Record-Journal.

Smith is a nine-year veteran of the force and received a Police Officer of the Year Award from the Elks Lodge in 2017, the Record-Journal reports.

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Read more at the Meriden Record-Journal here.

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