Former Elk Grove Officer Who Stomped On Man's Head Found Guilty Of Assault
ELK GROVE, Calif. (AP/CBS13) — A jury on Monday found a former Elk Grove police officer who stomped on the head of a man suspected of shoplifting guilty of battery and assault, authorities said.
Bryan Schmidt was one of several officers with the Elk Grove Police Department who on June 5, 2019, responded to a report of two people stealing from a clothing store. By the time he arrived, the man was already on the ground and wasn't complying with orders to extend his arms "like an airplane," the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
"With his gun drawn, Schmidt approached the suspect and told him if he didn't put his arms out like an airplane it was 'going to be a bad day' for him. Seconds later, Schmidt stomped on the suspect's head, knocking him unconscious," the office said.
The man developed subdural hematomas, or brain bleeds, that required several brain surgeries, prosecutors said.
Schmidt was fired from the department in 2020 after an investigation into the incident revealed that neither the officer nor his supervisor had reported the use of force incident.
The Elk Grove Police Department released a video of the incident last May.
Schmidt faces a maximum sentence of 4 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 8.
"Law enforcement officers do an outstanding job every day to keep our community safe," said Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert. "Unfortunately, this was a rare instance in which an officer violated the public's trust and needlessly used excessive force causing serious injuries to an individual. We want to thank the jurors for their commitment and dedication to seeing a just result."