Dashcam and bodycam footage shows brutal arrest of Rafael Rosales -
- 5 years ago
Disturbing body cam footage shows Milwaukee cop kick handcuffed suspect so hard in the face he suffered an EPILEPTIC SEIZURE in the back of a police car - and his colleagues later 'conspired to cover up the crime'
Michael Gassner, 37, kicked a handcuffed suspect hard in the face he broke his nose
Rafael Rosales, 27, later suffered an epileptic fit in the back of a squad car, leading to a three-day stay in hospital
Gassner was later caught on dash cam footage laughing and high-fiving another officer at the scene
Rosales' attorneys say a 'culture of silence' at the police department saw other officers lie to cover-up Gassner's unlawful action
Gassner resigned from the police department in August 2018, in a plea deal to mitigate his criminal charges
A Milwaukee police officer, who kicked a handcuffed suspect so hard in the face he suffered an epileptic seizure, now faces a federal civil rights lawssuit along with eight other officers who allegedly conspired to cover for him.
Rafael Rosales, 27, led several police cars on a high-speed chase after failing to pull-over during a routine traffic stop in Franklin on August 4, 2017.
For 20 minutes, officers from several different departments pursued Rosales down the highway before one truck successfully spiked his vehicle and caused it to spin out of control.
Weapons drawn, a number of officers surround the suspect before hoisting him out of the car and handcuffing him on the ground.
Despite being fully restrained, one officer, Michael Gassner, was caught on body-cam footage approaching Rosales and delivering a sickening kick to his face.
The severity of impact broke Rosales' nose and he later suffered an epileptic seizure in the back of the squad car.
Rosales spent three days recovering in hospital.
From another angle, Gassner can be seen high-fiving fellow officer Damon Wilcox in celebration of the strike.
The assault went unpunished for a year, until an officer from Greenfield Police reported it to Milwaukee PD's internal affairs team.
Gassner, 37, resigned from the Milwaukee Police Department in August 2018 as part of a plea deal to mitigate his criminal charges.
He pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges relating to the assault and served 14 days in prison, as well as being given 18 months probation.
However, Gassner now faces a federal civil rights lawssuit along with eight other police officers involved in the arrest, after Rosales' attorneys filed a case on Thursday.
Ben Elson, one of Rosales' attorneys, says a 'culture of silence' at the police department saw officers covering-up the actions of Gassner and obstructing justice.
The lawssuit names the city of Milwaukee and Gassner as defendants, along with officers: Kim Lastrilla, James Filsinger, Adam Stahl, Michael Schwandt, Damon Wilcox, Matthew Rittner, Thomas Marcus and Joseph Scheuring.
'The MPD knew for years that Gassner was a problem officer who repeatedly engaged in serious misconduct,' Elson alleged.
'All of the red f
Michael Gassner, 37, kicked a handcuffed suspect hard in the face he broke his nose
Rafael Rosales, 27, later suffered an epileptic fit in the back of a squad car, leading to a three-day stay in hospital
Gassner was later caught on dash cam footage laughing and high-fiving another officer at the scene
Rosales' attorneys say a 'culture of silence' at the police department saw other officers lie to cover-up Gassner's unlawful action
Gassner resigned from the police department in August 2018, in a plea deal to mitigate his criminal charges
A Milwaukee police officer, who kicked a handcuffed suspect so hard in the face he suffered an epileptic seizure, now faces a federal civil rights lawssuit along with eight other officers who allegedly conspired to cover for him.
Rafael Rosales, 27, led several police cars on a high-speed chase after failing to pull-over during a routine traffic stop in Franklin on August 4, 2017.
For 20 minutes, officers from several different departments pursued Rosales down the highway before one truck successfully spiked his vehicle and caused it to spin out of control.
Weapons drawn, a number of officers surround the suspect before hoisting him out of the car and handcuffing him on the ground.
Despite being fully restrained, one officer, Michael Gassner, was caught on body-cam footage approaching Rosales and delivering a sickening kick to his face.
The severity of impact broke Rosales' nose and he later suffered an epileptic seizure in the back of the squad car.
Rosales spent three days recovering in hospital.
From another angle, Gassner can be seen high-fiving fellow officer Damon Wilcox in celebration of the strike.
The assault went unpunished for a year, until an officer from Greenfield Police reported it to Milwaukee PD's internal affairs team.
Gassner, 37, resigned from the Milwaukee Police Department in August 2018 as part of a plea deal to mitigate his criminal charges.
He pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges relating to the assault and served 14 days in prison, as well as being given 18 months probation.
However, Gassner now faces a federal civil rights lawssuit along with eight other police officers involved in the arrest, after Rosales' attorneys filed a case on Thursday.
Ben Elson, one of Rosales' attorneys, says a 'culture of silence' at the police department saw officers covering-up the actions of Gassner and obstructing justice.
The lawssuit names the city of Milwaukee and Gassner as defendants, along with officers: Kim Lastrilla, James Filsinger, Adam Stahl, Michael Schwandt, Damon Wilcox, Matthew Rittner, Thomas Marcus and Joseph Scheuring.
'The MPD knew for years that Gassner was a problem officer who repeatedly engaged in serious misconduct,' Elson alleged.
'All of the red f