After being captured on body cameras striking a handcuffed teenage girl in the face, a New Jersey officer has been suspended and is facing an assault charge.
On March 8. in Gloucester Township, 27-year-old John Flinn and his partner received a call about a reported disturbance and confronted the young girl, News 12 reported.
Camden County prosecutors stated the 13-year-old juvenile obeyed the officer’s commands during her arrest while Flinn handcuffed her. However, as the former officer put the cuffs on the girl, he “struck her twice on the side of the face, causing her to cry out in pain” authorities relayed in a news release.
The incident was caught on camera and has gone viral on social media. The teen girl was taken to a local hospital and checked for injuries. No charges were filed against her, but Flinn now faces one count of simple assault, CBS Philly reported.
“I am grateful of the relationship that our officers have built with the community, and I am very confident that this incident will in no way damage that relationship,” Gloucester Township Police Chief Harry Earle confirmed in a statement.
“Our community members should rest assured that this incident was uncovered internally through our own checks and balances system and was not the result of a civilian complaint. This was the Gloucester Township Police Department policing itself which is the level of professionalism that I demand.”
Flinn has been suspended pending investigation.
