Euclid Officer Who Punched Man in Facebook Video Has Been Rehired

Euclid Officer Who Punched Unarmed Man in Facebook Video Has Been Rehired

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Source: WENN.com / WENN

EUCLID, Ohio – A Euclid Police officer who was fired after a violent arrest went viral in 2017 will be back on the streets, the city’s law department said.

Officer Michael Amiott will get his job back with the Euclid Police Department after an arbitrator ruled in his favor Thursday.

Amiott was originally suspended and later fired after a video of him repeatedly punching 25-year-old Richard Hubbard III was posted to Facebook Aug. 12, 2017.

Hubbard was arrested during a traffic stop after officers ordered him out of the car and tried to take him into custody.

The video shows Amiott punching Hubbard in the face several times.

The officers at the scene said Hubbard ignored the commands to turn away from officers before a struggle began. Once in custody, Hubbard was charged with driving under suspension and resisting arrest.

Hubbard was later cleared of all charges. He said he did not resist arrest during the incident.

“As of right now, I’m hurt and afraid,” Hubbard said in a news conference days after the incident. “I did not resist arrest. I stay out of trouble and never thought this would happen to me. When the officer told me to get out of the car, I got out of the car.

“Stepping toward me, he told me to face away. I didn’t know what that meant at the time but I turned around immediately. When I turned around, I was attacked. I did not resist arrest.”

Euclid Law Director Kelley Sweeney said the arbitrator’s decision to give Amiott his job back comes with the following conditions:

80 hours in-class training
60 to 90 days of additional field training
No side jobs during probation
Removal from the police department’s SWAT team

A review of city records found Amiott has been involved in 17 other incidents involving the use of force since 2016 — the seventh-highest number of any officer within the police department.