ST. LOUIS, April 5 (UPI) -- St. Louis police say two officers have been charged with assaulting handcuffed teenage suspects in separate incidents.
Rory Bruce, 35, was fired March 28 along with his partner at the time, for allegedly punching a 16-year-old handcuffed male suspect in the face around 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 20. Bruce and his partner were probationary officers, with less than a year on the force.
David Wilson, 28, an officer for four years, was placed on administrative duty while the department conducts an internal investigation into allegations that he punched a 16-year-old handcuffed suspect in the head around 3:50 p.m., Jan. 8.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported both incidents were caught on video and audio recordings in police vehicles. Both are charged with third-degree assault.
Police Chief Dan Isom released a statement Wednesday: "It is the department's responsibility to enforce the law, even when our own officers are the ones who have broken the law. We will not allow the actions of some to tarnish the reputation of our entire department."
