Cop Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting, Disparaging Black Prisoner

A Worcester Police officer is behind bars tonight after being arrested and charged with assaulting a black prisoner and violating his civil rights.

Michael Motyka, 50, a 17-year veteran of the police force, was arrested on April 9, 2015, and charged with assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot), and a civil rights violation.

According to a press release, the department’s Bureau of Professional Standards received a complaint in March from a man who alleged that he was assaulted by an officer while waiting in a cell room in December 2014.

“The complainant stated that the incident occurred while he awaited transfer from the Worcester Police Department to the Worcester County District Courthouse for arraignment,” according to the report. “The complainant and witness alleged that during the prisoner release process, the officer made a disparaging remark with respect to the complainant’s ‘black’ skin. The complainant further alleged that he was in the holding cell, handcuffed, and shackled, when the officer entered the secured room. According to the complainant and (a) witness, the complainant was forced against a wall, punched, thrown to the floor and kicked.”

The department, after investigating the allegation, found probable cause to charge Motyka with the three counts and arrested him today. The investigation, according to the report, is ongoing. Motyka is on “paid administrative leave pending a termination hearing.”

According to the WorcesterHerald.com, Motyka earned about $116,000 a year in 2014, including about $37,000 in paid details.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Worcester Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch police report.