Tampa Police Officer Dismissed for Unauthorized Chokehold on Suspect During Arrest

In a recent turn of events, a Tampa police officer has been removed from the force following an incident where he was found to have used a chokehold on a suspect. The Tampa Police Department asserts that this maneuver led to the suspect losing consciousness and violated department policies. As reported by FOX 13 News, the incident occurred during a response to a domestic battery call on April 12.

The officer in question, Michael Scaglione, along with another officer, attempted to arrest the suspect who resisted by not placing his hands behind his back. During the altercation, both Scaglione and the suspect fell to the ground, leading to the prohibited chokehold. Department policies clearly state that chokeholds “are prohibited unless deadly force is justified,” and the investigation determined deadly force was not warranted in this situation, according to a statement obtained by WFLA News Channel 8.

Further complicating matters, Scaglione did not properly report additional use of force. The Tampa Police Department found that he failed to document three or four strikes to the suspect’s head. Chief Lee Bercaw emphasized that adherence to established policies is vital, stressing that “even in the heat of the moment, officers must be able to respond according to established policies and training procedures which were developed to ensure the safety of the officers as well as the public,” as quoted in the previous source.

Bodycam footage obtained by WTSP reveals the intensity of the confrontation, with the suspect losing consciousness for a critical eight seconds as a result of the chokehold. Upon awakening and starting to resist again, Scaglione reportedly used his right hand to pin the man’s throat to the ground, controlling him, improperly escalating the altercation that led to the suspect being handled in a way that betrayed not just the man subdued on the pavement, but the very ethos of the uniform Scaglione donned.

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