Former Gwinnett County cops Sgt. Michael Bongiovanni and Officer Robert McDonald already lost their jobs, and faced a battery case for a traffic stop turned violent. Now prosecutors seek an indictment on additional charges, according to WSB-TV.
The former cops were first booked last April. Prosecutors said, as seen on video, that’s Bongiovanni punching driver Demetrius Hollins in the face, and McDonald later running up and kicking a prone Hollins. Both officers allegedly had their guns drawn.
“I wish this never happened to me,” Hollins told reporters, his nose and bottom lip covered in blood.
At the time, Bongiovanni argued that he previously had a run in with Hollins, explaining the violent response. Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, who seeks charges of aggravated assault and false writings, said that’s incorrect.
“I don’t think he knew who this individual was when they were out on the street, but he refreshed his memory from a previous report, and then wrote a report to indicate he was in a heightened sense of danger,” Porter said.
Bongiovanni’s attorney Mike Puglise, a former officer himself, criticized the DA’s decision.
“Whenever we tie our officers hands behind their back and we literally are making them second guess every step they take, we are putting a lot of lives in jeopardy,” he said. “A lot of blue lives in jeopardy.”
McDonald’s attorney told the outlet he is ready to face the charges.
[Screengrab via WSB-TV]