West Seneca cop accused of punching man

[MrScorpio]

Cop has since resigned from his position

Updated: Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010, 6:13 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010, 3:55 PM EDT

George Richert
Posted by: Eli George
WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) - A former police officer is accused of abusing his authority. The former West Seneca officer faced arraignment Wednesday afternoon in federal court.

Sean Kelley is accused of misusing his power in a bar fight four months ago. Kelley's facing a federal charge of depriving a victim of the right ot be free from unreasonable use of force by a law enforcement officer. That's a civil rights charge.

The witnesses in this case are two other West Seneca police officers who were on duty. Sean Kelley was off duty on March 12th at Mackie's Countryside Inn in West Seneca when he allegedly called his police department, asked officers to come to the bar to help the bartender get someone who was harassing him and his wife to leave the bar.

The minute the two other officers arrived, Kelley, according to the officers and witnesses, walked over to the man, pulled him out of his chair, saying, "The cops are here. What are you going to do now?" Then Kelley allegedly walked the man outside, punched him, choked him, and threw him against a wall. Two months later, he resigned from the force.


http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/crime/Uniformed-cop-accused-of-punching-man

[TexasObserver]

1. This is what happens when some people get authority.