Legal news for New Mexico personal injury attorneys. A police officer lost his job after beating up a drunk teen.
Personal injury attorney alert- A Santa Fe City, New Mexico police officer was fired after beating teen.
Santa Fe, NM—A Santa Fe City police officer lost his job with the police force after attacking a 17-year-old teen. The incident occurred at the Santa Fe Police Station in November 2007, while the teen was detained, as reported by KRQE.
Investigators reported that Brendon Singer, 17, was drunk, belligerent, and spat on a police officer while at the police station. A videotape that captured the incident revealed that the officer, David Smoker, walked over to Singer, kicked a garbage can and swung at Singer’s head. Singer was then thrown to the ground by Smoker, who then threw him around and kneed him in the back. Smoker reportedly knew he was in the wrong and admitted his fault to his supervisors, in which he claimed he was having some personal issues when the incident occurred. Two other officers, Robert Hollingsworth and David Rael Jr. were reprimanded for not intervening during the attack. Hollingsworth lost his job with the police force along with Smoker; Rael was suspended for 40 hours. Singer has since settled with Santa Fe City for $15,000. It is unknown if Singer sustained any serious injuries in the attack, or if he was taken to a hospital for treatment after being brutally beaten.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for New Mexico personal injury lawyers.
