Ex-Warren police officer seen assaulting suspect on video, indicted for excessive force
FOX 2 (WJBK) - A former Warren police officer seen on video assaulting an inmate during his booking was indicted by federal prosecutors Friday.
Matthew Rodriguez, 48, hit a carjacking suspect, knocking him to the ground after his June 13 arrest. Rodriguez then can be seen slamming Smith's head on the ground and hitting him again.
Rodriguez was indicted for willfully depriving a prisoner of his constitutional rights by using excessive force when he assaulted the prisoner and for filing a false report of his conduct, in an effort to affect the investigation, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
The 14-year member of the department was charged in the Indictment with Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, and Falsification of Records, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Rodriguez will be arraigned on the Indictment on Monday, November 6, 2023, at 1:00 P.M. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Rodriguez was fired on June 26 following an internal investigation by the Warren Police Department.
According to court documents, Rodriguez was working as a jail officer on June 13, 2023, at the Warren Police Department, when the victim was brought to the department after being arrested. While Rodriguez was processing the victim, Rodriguez repeatedly and unnecessarily assaulted the prisoner.
The surveillance video inside the police department shows that while the victim was standing with his hands in his pockets, Rodriguez struck him in the head.
Rodriguez then shoved the victim against a wall and threw him to the floor. While the victim was laying on the floor, Rodriguez used his closed fist to punch the victim repeatedly in the head. Rodriguez also slammed the victim’s head onto the floor.
In addition, Rodriguez made false statements in his Warren Police Department use of force report about his conduct and the conduct of the victim.
"The protection of individuals’ Constitutional Rights, even the accused, is one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice and my office. The conduct that is alleged here, a blatant and shocking violation of the victim’s rights, and then an effort by the former officer to lie about that, cannot be ignored or go unchecked," Ison said.
"Mr. Rodriguez violated his oath to serve, and his alleged conduct was a betrayal of the trust placed upon him by the citizens of Warren, his fellow officers, and all police officers who perform their duties with honor and professionalism every day," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story misstated the date of the assault. The story has been updated with the correct date.