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DETROIT (WJBK) - A former police officer convicted of assaulting a man at a Detroit gas station was sentenced Friday. Richard Billingslea, 25, was caught on video pepper spraying a man, throwing him to the floor and then punching and kicking him.
The incident happened in May of 2017, but Billingslea wasn't charged until December. He was charged with Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm; Aggravated Assault; Obstruction of Justice; and Assault and Battery. He pleaded no contest. On Friday, he was sentenced to two years' probation, anger management and community service.
Authorities say two men pulled up to the Mobil gas station in the 17000 block of Harper that night. One of the men recognized Billingslea because they'd had confrontations before.
Prosecutors say the man swore at the officer and left. Then his friend, who was drunk at the time, came inside. That's when prosecutors allege Billingslea began to attack the friend.
Prosecutors said Billingslea pepper sprayed Michaele Jackson, who was never a threat, authorities said, because he was intoxicated. His friend, D'Marco Craft, recorded the incident on his cell phone. Prosecutors said Billingslea tried to throw away Craft's phone, but it was retrieved by another officer in a trash can. Billingslea is also accused of turning off his body camera during the encounter.
As part of Billingslea's probation, he must complete an anger management program and not have any contact with the two victims. He also must complete community service hours.
As a convicted felon, he cannot work as a police officer again.
"Right now, I feel like it was a slap on the wrist," Craft told FOX 2 after the sentencing was handed down. "He had his other officers who were also there with him at the time of this crime, and they're just sitting in the courtroom right beside me, and I said, it's a scary feeling right there because only one guy [is] down and there's other people out there they could be doing this to."
Billingslea and other officers were already at the gas station when Craft and Jackson pulled up because they'd been called there on other business.
"I be hurting, back hurting; headaches," Jackson told us. "I can't stand no more like I used to, I have to sit a lot to make my impact with my kids."