Crime & Safety
Trial Starts For Worcester Police Officer Charged With Assaulting a Prisoner
This Rochdale man and Worcester officer was charged with assaulting a prisoner in his holding cell.
WORCESTER, MA—The trial begins on Thursday, May 11, for a case that dates back to September of 2015 in which a Worcester officer was charged with assaulting a prisoner in a holding cell.
After an extensive, months-long investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, Michael Motyka, age 50, of Rochdale, was indicted on Sept. 21, 2015 by a Worcester County Grand Jury on one count of Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon (shod foot). He was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court at a later date.
The AG’s Office began an investigation in May 2015 after the matter was referred by the Worcester District Attorney’s Office, said officials.
Motyka is a 17-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department. He was assigned to the department’s Services Division and mainly worked in the booking room and in the department’s reception area.
Authorities allege that on Dec. 1, 2014, Motyka physically assaulted a prisoner who was handcuffed and shackled in a holding cell at the Worcester Police Station while the prisoner was waiting to be transferred to court for arraignment, said officials.
Photo via Shutterstock
