MTA Officer Indicted On Second-Degree Assault, Misconduct Charges After He Allegedly Punched Man Repeatedly
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Maryland Transit Administration officer was indicted on second-degree assault and misconduct charges after he allegedly punched a man on the platform repeatedly.
"This indictment shows once again that we take police misconduct very seriously in my office. It doesn't matter what job you do, or what uniform you wear - if you break the law, you will be brought to justice," said State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
A Baltimore City grand jury indicted MTA Police Officer Aaron Sewell Tuesday.
According to the state's attorney's office, Sewell was on duty with the MTA Police on June 20, 2020, when he was patrolling the Rogers Avenue Metro located on 4300 Hayward Avenue around 11:15 p.m. That's when he encountered Mr. Kaiya Parker on the station platform. Parker wasn't wearing a shirt and Officer Sewell told him he was required to wear a shirt to ride the train.
The officer moved into between Parker and the train tracks but there was no train at the platform and Parker wasn't trying to board a train, the indictment read. Then Sewell placed his hands on Parker's chest as Parker tried to enter the platform area. Parker reportedly swatted the officer's hands away.
That's when Sewell allegedly began to punch Parker repeatedly, picking him up and then slamming him to the ground. Parker didn't strike the officer once. He grabbed a trash can to stabilize himself after the attack, according to the press release.
Mosby said Sewell used "an unnecessary amount of force or violence and the amount of force used was unreasonable in light of the severity of the incident and urgency of its disposition."
She said his actions were inconsistent with the MTA use of force policy.
"Officer Sewell was a sworn police officer, acting under color of his office and the assault was not accidental, consented to, nor legally justified," the press release stated.
If convicted, Sewell faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison for Second Degree Assault. There is no maximum sentence for Misconduct in Office. It is a common-law crime that carries no sentencing limit except that it cannot be cruel and unusual.
The MTA released this statement:
"Officer Sewell resigned from Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) service in February 2021 in good standing. MDOT MTA will always comply with requests for information from the Baltimore City State's Attorney Office and other law enforcement agencies. We are focused on community policing and treating all customers with dignity and respect. MDOT MTA cannot comment further due to the ongoing investigation."
Read the indictment below:
