NYPD officer found guilty of assault in stomping incident

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, Brooklyn (WABC) -- An NYPD officer caught on camera stomping on the head of a suspect was found guilty Friday of third-degree assault.

Officer Joel Edouard, 37, was charged in connection with a police encounter in July 2014 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

Cell phone video taken by a witness showed Edouard walking away from the marijuana-related arrest of 33-year-old Jahmiel Cuffee as other officers took over. But then he suddenly returned and briefly pulled his service weapon before appearing to stomp on the suspect's head.

Cuffee said he suffered scrapes, bruises and headaches. All charges against him were dismissed.

He filed a $25 million notice of claim, signaling his intention to sue the city, the NYPD and officers involved.

Edouard's attorney Stephen Worth has denied the allegations, insisting that the video does not show the entire incident and that his client had been acting within the scope of his duties.

"This police officer, in broad daylight and in front of a crowd of people, stomped on the head of a suspect while he lay on the ground, subdued and surrounded by other officers," Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said. "That's why he was indicted, put on trial and convicted. His conduct was simply outrageous."

Edouard, an eight-year veteran of the force, faces up to one year in jail.