PAW PAW, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – A former Hartford police officer accused of misconduct made his first appearance in court Monday, according to an update from WWMT.
Previously, an investigation was launched against 31-year-old Matthew Mistretta earlier this month. He is facing two counts of assault and battery and one count of misconduct in office by a public official.
A video from a traffic stop in Mistretta made in August 2020 indicated that he threw a man to the ground after handcuffing him, and then kneeled on the man’s neck.
A passenger in the stopped vehicle reported that the man on the ground said he couldn’t breathe.
According to the update from WWMT, Mistretta thought the people in the stopped vehicle had been involved in a shooting incident.
Hartford Police Chief Tressa Beltran also noted that she believed excessive force was used, adding that the video did not show any evidence of resistance or obstruction, according to WWMT.
The next court date for Mistretta has not been set at this time.
— Jim McKinney contributed to this reporting —
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