Body cam video shows Illinois officer punching man
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Newly released police body camera footage from Springfield, Illinois, shows an officer punching a 19-year-old man nearly a dozen times.
The footage released Monday stems from an altercation last month that led to 32-year-old officer Samuel A. Rosario facing misdemeanor battery and felony official misconduct charges. The video also shows Rosario taunting the man.
The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports that the 19-year-old man isn't charged.
Rosario, who has been a sworn Springfield officer since April 2015, has pleaded not guilty and is free on bond. The police department says Rosario's police powers have been revoked and he is on unpaid administrative leave.
Rosario's attorney Daniel Fultz said he was still viewing the video. Fultz says he hopes people "understand that being a police officer is a difficult job."