BALTIMORE — Former Baltimore Police officer Arthur Williams was convicted of second-degree assault and misconduct in office after a video circulated the internet showing him beating a man on the street in August 2018.
"Public trust is critical in the fight to make Baltimore safer. Today's conviction is yet another example where we’ve successfully held a defendant fully accountable to the law regardless of his occupational status," said Baltimore City's State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby. "This defendant abused his position and put a citizen he was sworn to protect in danger, and now he will have to face the consequences of his deplorable actions."
On the morning of August 11, 2018, Williams and another officer were working a special cross borders crime initiative in the 2500 block of Monument Street when they approached Dashawn McGrier, 26, a man police say they were familiar with. At the first encounter, the officers released McGrier and then approached him again to give him a citizen’s contact sheet. When they asked for his identification, the situation escalated when he refused.
Williams was caught on video repeatedly punching McGrier. According to the Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City, Williams hit McGrier multiple times on the head, face, neck and upper body without any resistance. They say Williams forced McGrier into a set of concrete steps where he laid on top and continued to hit him.
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Williams arrested McGrier, and he was later released and given medical treatment for his injuries.
Following a review of the viral video and incident, Baltimore Police officials suspended Williams, and the State's Attorney's Office charged Williams with assault and misconduct. Williams later resigned from the department and pleaded not guilty to the indictment.
Williams’ sentencing is scheduled for August 9, 2019. He faces 10 years for the second-degree assault charge. Officials say misconduct in office is a common law offense and does not carry a maximum sentence.
