MPD has released a statement regarding a New York man arrested for assault on a police officer. MPD says the assault occurred in the course of a homicide investigation by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Taskforce.
May 21, 2012
MPD Response Regarding Arrest
(Washington, DC)- Members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Taskforce were looking for a suspect wanted in connection with a homicide. During the course of the investigation, a suspect was arrested for assaulting one of our police officers, on Saturday, May 19, 2012. The suspect arrested in this case has been identified as Craig Wilson of New York. He was arrested for Assault on a Police Officer.
We understand that the National People’s Action is making allegations of excessive force. An investigation will be conducted to determine if any force was used and if the level of force was appropriate for the circumstances.
NBC Washington reported that Wilson, who was in DC for a conference, matched the description of a homicide suspect.
Wilson resisted arrest, police said. Police wrongfully roughed him up and pepper-sprayed him, Wilson said.
“You can look at me and see that there was excessive force used, at minimum, and there was some misconduct, at minimum, and it shouldn’t happen,” Wilson said.
Police later determined Wilson, a 42-year-old from New York, was the wrong man, but they did charge him with misdemeanor assault of a police officer.
“I was not the guy,” Wilson said Monday. “They never, ever even apologized or admitted that they made a mistake, right, and they wanted to charge me with assault.”
Note: We’ll be updating this story as we learn more.
