Former Bethel police officer charged with assaulting suspect during traffic stop

Bethel Police Department office (File/KYUK)

The authorities has charged a erstwhile Bethel Police Department serviceman pinch aggregate misdemeanors for a 2023 incident that near a man successful nan hospital.

According to a charging archive revenge successful Bethel District Court, Jonathan Murphy allegedly struck 44-year-old Bernard Mael many times pinch a closed fist, lied to a chap serviceman astir being struck by a conveyance Mael was driving, and provided a mendacious study of nan incident.

The charging archive alleges that connected aliases astir Dec. 23, 2023, Murphy responded to a postulation extremity already underway for a conveyance reported to beryllium stolen, driven by Mael.

According to nan charging document, assemblage cam footage from nan incident shows Murphy attempting to propulsion Mael from nan conveyance and striking him pinch a closed fist. At immoderate constituent Murphy lets spell of Mael, who pulls distant successful nan conveyance and leads officers successful pursuit done a residential area, according to nan charging document.

The charging archive alleges that conscionable aft Mael pulled away, Murphy radioed to opportunity that Mael had deed him pinch nan vehicle, an assertion Murphy allegedly made aggregate times successful nan events that followed.

The charging archive alleges that Murphy’s ain assemblage cam was not activated astatine nan clip of nan incident. However, footage captured by nan assemblage cam of different serviceman does not show nan conveyance hitting immoderate portion of Murphy’s assemblage astatine immoderate point, according to nan charging document.

Following nan pursuit, nan charging archive alleges that officers forced nan conveyance driven by Mael disconnected nan broadside of nan road, wherever Murphy tased Mael aggregate times, capsicum sprayed him, and punched him successful nan caput repeatedly.

It is not clear erstwhile Murphy’s assemblage cam was activated, but nan charging archive says that footage of nan incident was captured by each 3 officers astatine nan scene.

Mael was placed nether apprehension and transported to nan Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation to beryllium treated for his injuries. According to nan charging document, Mael’s booking photograph shows “bruising, swelling, and wounds.” Court records show that Mael was not charged pinch immoderate crimes for nan incident.

On nan time of nan incident, Murphy besides sought curen astatine nan hospital, wherever he reported having a surgery correct manus and backmost symptom from being struck by a vehicle, nan charging archive alleges.

In his incident report, Murphy implied that Mael had attempted to tally him complete pinch nan vehicle, and that his backmost symptom was a “result of Mael driving disconnected pinch me.” Murphy later told investigators that his assertion of being deed by nan conveyance was based connected his reappraisal of assemblage cam footage captured by nan different serviceman coming astatine nan first postulation stop, Jonathan Bouma.

Bouma’s ain study from nan clip backs up Murphy’s relationship of nan event. However, Bouma later told investigators that nan study was based connected what Murphy told him, alternatively than his ain observations aliases reappraisal of his ain assemblage cam footage, nan charging archive says.

Bouma besides backed up Murphy’s relationship of nan incident successful a sworn affidavit charging Mael pinch felony battle that was later dismissed, according to nan charging document.

The Bethel Police Department said that Murphy has resigned from nan department, though they declined to opportunity when. A tribunal summons archive shows Murphy was nary longer domiciled successful Bethel arsenic of July 22, and will beryllium attending hearings remotely.

Murphy has been charged pinch misdemeanor fourth-degree assault, providing mendacious accusation implicating different successful a crime, and second-degree tampering pinch nationalist records. All 3 transportation maximum sentences of 1 twelvemonth successful jail.

Fairbanks-based lawyer Joseph W. Miller is representing Murphy. The adjacent proceeding is scheduled for Sept. 9 successful Bethel District Court.

In 2016, different erstwhile Bethel constabulary officer, Andrew Reid, pleaded guilty to charges of fourth-degree battle and charismatic misconduct for many times slamming aliases throwing a man to nan crushed successful nan Alaska Commercial Co. shop parking lot. In this case, nan incident was captured by nan store’s surveillance camera.