law enforcement pressed charges against two former police officers last Wednesday. Federal officials terminated the two cops after video footage surfaced of them brutally assaulting a man while conducting one of their routine traffic stops. Georgia’s Police Department removed Robert McDonald, 25, and Michael Bongiovanni, 42, from their positions within the precinct on April 13. Their termination occurred less than 24 hours after the alleged video revealed both attacking Demetrius Hollins.
The two officers beat him while his hands were tied up. At one point, McDonald is seen stepping on the victim’s head as the man laid restrained by his handcuffs on the ground.
Legal advisers address the situation
The police department charged both men with one felony count of violating their oaths in office and one misdemeanor count of assault and battery. Bongiovanni’s attorney, Mike Puglise, claims his client is not only innocent but bewildered by the charges that are currently pending against him. He also requested several days ago for the police force’s HR Department to reconsider removing him from his position as one of their officers.
The media was unable to contact McDonald. It remains uncertain whether Bongiovanni’s accomplice has a legal counselor willing to speak on the man’s indictments.
Rosanna Szabo is the Solicitor General that currently presides over Gwinnett County.
Her office enforces prosecutions on all traffic-related and misdemeanor offenses throughout the district where the officers formerly worked. In April, Szabo’s office rejected over 89 cases where the Georgia Police Department reported both Bongiovanni and McDonald as leading law enforcement on the scene or relevant witnesses during an operation.
Conflicting evidence in officers' background
Law enforcement began utilizing McDonald in their division back in August 2013. Less than a year later, he completed all his training at the Police Academy and achieved the rank of being Georgia State’s master police officer.
Bongiovanni served as a sergeant for the department for many years, initially obtaining his position back in September 1998 and graduating from the Academy by February the following year.
Federal authorities filed Bongiovanni's annual evaluations from the past two years in June of last year and the same month back in 2015.
The assessments depict the former staff sergeant as a director cherished overall who displayed excellent administration abilities. The reports also noted that Bongiovanni usually remained calm in unpleasant circumstances and always showed that he cared for the well-being his fellow officers.
In every category listed in his annual reviews, the man received a rating that acknowledged his demeanor and productivity as often exceeding the department’s expectations.
The agency rewarded him with many respects and acclimations amid his two years with the division. He received awards stemming from his demonstrations of outstanding conduct and even achieved being the officer of the month this year back in January.
Prior issues surround Bongiovanni
Be that as it may, disciplinary records indicate that Bongiovanni almost faced demotion three years ago. It all started after he left his highway patrol team without any supervision so he could engage in other miscellaneous activities on duty. In one instance, he left to go home early just to see his wife while leaving police officers to conduct an intense narcotics investigation.
Bongiovanni appealed his demotion. So instead the police department suspended him for two weeks and restricted him from any part-jobs assigned within the division.
In a news report provided by the Associated Press, Bongiovanni has 67 instances on his record describing violent intentions and his overall excessive use of force.
