Baltimore officer handed 60-day sentence for reckless endangerment after failing to defend victim
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore police officer Christopher Nguyen was sentenced to 60 days in prison Thursday for failing to defend the unresponsive victim of an assault as they were kicked in the head by a suspect in 2020, Baltimore prosecutors confirmed to WJZ.
Nguyen was charged with reckless endangerment and misconduct in office in August 2021 and was found guilty of reckless endangerment last August.
The State's Attorney's Office for Baltimore City told WJZ a judge just sentenced Christopher Nguyen to a year of incarceration with all but 60 days suspended, and 18 months supervised probation.
In 2020, while responding to an incident in Northeast Baltimore, Nguyen failed to properly secure or detain the suspect, identified as Kenneth Somers, prosecutors said.
Nguyen then failed to take action as Somers ignored his questions, exited his truck and walked toward the victim who was motionless and bleeding on the sidewalk.
According to prosecutors, Somers leaned down to the victim and taunted him, saying: "Hey, can you see that? Can you see? So you can remember me."
The man then kicked the victim in the head "forcefully" in front of Nguyen, the state's attorney's office said.
Nguyen was allegedly just a few feet away and did nothing to stop the attack.
According to court records, Somers has been convicted of first-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
