A 19-year veteran officer of the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department faces charges after his alleged actions during a traffic stop last fall.
A grand jury has indicted police Cpl. Clarence Black, charging him with two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of misconduct in office.
In a statement, county State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said the charges are linked to an Oct. 7 traffic stop in Temple Hills.
She doesn’t specify why the driver — a Black male — had been stopped along Branch Avenue near Beech Road. But she said Black assaulted the driver, including once while he was in handcuffs.
Braveboy said she wants residents to feel safe.
“That is why I have promised to always hold everyone accountable for their actions no matter their position, and that includes law enforcement officers,” she said.
Her office’s public integrity unit will take over the investigation.
“It’s important for the community to know that in this case, a fellow officer intervened on behalf of the driver during the traffic stop,” said Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz.
Black is the sixth officer in the department to be indicted this year.
