A Maryland police officer caught on camera pointing a gun at the head of a man during an “investigatory stop” has been convicted on multiple charges and is facing termination.
The incident happened May 10, 2014 in Bowie, and was recorded by a witness.
When the video begins Officer Jenchesky Santiago can be seen holding a gun as he stands behind the man, as the civilian says, “he put a gun to my head, he put a gun to my head,” and the officer repeatedly tells him to “get back in the car.”
The car was parked in front of the man’s home when the officer approached and asked the people in the car why they were stopped there, according to an NBC Washington report. The civilian, William Cunningham, reportedly got out of the car and was attempting to enter his home when the confrontation occurred.
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The officer appears to push the man across a lawn toward the curb, where the person recording the video is sitting in a vehicle. As they get to the curb, the man turns to face the officer, who then puts the gun inches away from, if not touching, the man’s face.
No one was injured in the incident.
An investigation was launched by the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and the case was then brought to the state’s Attorney’s Office for review. The officer was suspended in June 2014.
Santiago has since been convicted on charges of first- and second-degree assault, misconduct in office and the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence.
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Police Chief Mark Magaw has condemned the officer’s behaviour, and is calling for his termination.
“The actions Officer Santiago chose to take that day are his alone. His behavior is flagrant, appalling and isolated,” Magaw said in a statement.
“His actions are among the worst I’ve seen as Chief of Police and that will be taken into account when I make a decision about his employment.”
Magaw said he has met with and apologized to Cunningham, and thanked him for coming forward to report the incident.
The video was released by officials Dec. 2, 2015 to maintain transparency in the matter. Santiago, who had been with the police department for two years when the incident happened, has the right to appeal.
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