Gwinnett County court officials have dismissed 89 cases involving the two officers fired for punching and kicking an unarmed suspect during a traffic stop in Lawrenceville.
Sgt. Michael Bongiovanni and Master Officer Robert McDonald can be seen on cell phone video shot by separate eye witnesses punching and kicking the suspect during the stop at the intersection of Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road and Sugarloaf Parkway.
The cases, in which either McDonald or Bongiovanni were the principal officer or a key witness, were thrown out Friday, Gwinnett County Solicitor-General Rosanna Szabo announced.
"(W)hen police officers betray the public's trust and confidence, justice demands that all those cases that depend on their credibility be dismissed without delay," said Szabo in a statement.
63 of the cases were in Gwinnett County Recorder's Court, while the remaining 26 were in Gwinnett County State Court.
"The actions of these officers completely undermine their credibility and they cannot be relied upon as witnesses in any pending prosecution," said Szabo.
McDonald had worked for the Gwinnett County Police Department since August 2013, while Bongiovanni had been employed since 1998.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/4/525129/gwinnett-county-dismisses-89-cases-involving-officers-fired-for-punching-kicking-suspect