GLENDALE, Ariz. — Editor's note: The above video may be disturbing to some viewers.
A Glendale police officer was suspended after he was found to have violated department policy after he punched a man in the face multiple times, causing an injury that required stitches, during a traffic stop in March.
Matthew Salyers was originally suspended for 40 hours after he and fellow Officer William Johnston stopped 57-year-old Angelo Carrillo Sr. on March 6 for failing to signal.
Carrillo Sr. did not produce an ID, as required by Arizona law, so Johnston attempted to arrest the man while he was still in the car.
Carrillo Sr. allegedly resisted the arrest and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, Salyers entered the car on the passenger’s side and "delivered closed hand strikes to Carrillo’s face," the department announced Wednesday.
Carrillo Sr. had a laceration under his right eye, which later required stitches. He was treated at a hospital before he was booked into jail for failure to provide identification and resisting arrest.
The department began its investigation of the incident, as per department policy, and Salyers' chain of command recommended that he would be suspended for 40 hours.
Assistant Police Chief Rich LeVander said in his notice of suspension in July that Carrillo Sr.'s resistance "did not rise to the level of active aggression."
Department policy calls for the use of "hard empty hand strikes" during "active aggression levels of resistance or harder."
"Your use of hard empty hand strikes to the driver's head were violations of response to resistance techniques outlined in department policy," part of the notice read.
Salyers did not have any history of prior discipline within the department.
Salyers appealed the suspension in May to Interim Chief of Police Chris Briggs, who upheld that suspension.
Salyers appealed it again in July to the City Personnel Board. The board met on Nov. 13 and a majority of members agreed that discipline was appropriate, but recommended City Manager Kevin Phelps reduce the suspension ranging from no action to a 20- hour suspension.
Phelps, who has final say in all appeals, amended the discipline to 30 working hours on Nov. 26.
“The men and women of the Glendale Police Department make split second decisions daily," Briggs said in a statement.
“There are times when our officers’ decisions are not in line with our policies or training, which is the case in this incident. We take these situations seriously and take appropriate action to ensure that we are living up to the high standards that we expect of ourselves and that our community deserves."