WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A former Warren police officer has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison after pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Matthew Rodriguez entered the plea in March and was sentenced Tuesday. He used excessive force against a young Black man, punching him in the face and slamming his head to the ground in an incident that was caught on video.
The sentence was entered under a plea deal, which included admitting to writing a report with false statement about the incident and omitting information in an attempt to cover up the crime.
Rodriguez was seen repeatedly assaulting Jaquwan Smith without justification, “striking him in the head with enough force to cause the victim to stumble backwards.”
Video later showed him shoving Smith's head against the wall, then throwing him to the floor. Later, Rodriguez was again seen punching him in the head.
First charged by the Macomb County prosecutor, the case was taken over by U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison who accused Rodriguez of violating the jail prisoner’s civil rights.
Police say other Warren officers intervened and immediately reported the incident to supervisors. The Warren Police Department launched an internal investigation. They say they made the decision to put Rodriguez on administrative leave within hours of the incident.
Before handing down Rodriguez's sentence, U.S. District Judge Jonathan Grey had seen another troubling video in his past. It was an unprovoked attack of an intoxicated person who was also in custody.
Grey said the person "was brutalized" by Rodriguez in 2012 when Rodriguez delivered a roundhouse kick to the person as they attempted to pull up their pants in a booking area.
In 2017, Judge Grey said Rodriguez was a school resource officer at Fitzgerald High School in Warren when he used "unnecessary force" on a student who pushed past him.
Grey also noted that in 1998, a charge of domestic violence was dismissed against Rodriguez. And in 1996, Rodriguez was found not guilty of assault and battery.
Defense attorney Steve Fishman said his client has learned a lot.
"I think what he learned, number one, is that he's not going to be a policeman, and he probably never should have been a policeman, quite frankly," Fishman told 7 News Detroit. "But he's gone into the business world. He's a very hardworking guy."
Fishman said Rodriguez has started a trucking business.
“This defendant swore to protect and serve his community, but instead he abused his power by violently assaulting an arrestee,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a news release. “This sentence should serve as a reminder to all law enforcement that a badge is not a license to answer verbal insults with physical violence and excessive force. The Justice Department will continue to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans and to hold law enforcement accountable when they violate federal civil rights law.”
“Police officers have a duty to protect the civil rights of everyone in our community, including individuals in their custody,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan in a news release. “Physical abuse of detainees is completely unacceptable and undermines public confidence in the integrity of law enforcement. My office is committed to accountability for all public servants who abuse the public trust, and today’s sentence is a powerful reflection of that commitment.”
Rodriguez remains free until he's given a date to report to the Bureau of Prisons.
