Former St. Albans police officer permanently banned from police work in Vermont
Former St. Albans police officer permanently banned from police work in Vermont - VTDigger
https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/31/former-st-albans-police-officer-permanently-banned-from-police-work-in-vermont/
The Vermont Criminal Justice Council has approved a stipulation agreement revoking Jason Lawton’s law enforcement certification following his assault conviction for punching a woman who was in custody.
According to video of the March 2019 encounter leading to the decertification, Amy Connelly was in custody in a holding cell at the St. Albans police station with her hands cuffed behind her back.
At one point in the video, Connelly can be seen standing up, appearing to raise a leg toward Lawton. The video shows Lawton pushing her onto a cell bench, grabbing her shirt near her neck, and punching her in the face.
Lawton and two other officers then push her face-first to the ground and cuff her ankles.
“In reviewing the incident,” Vermont Criminal Justice Council records stated, “the internal investigation found that (Lawton’s) actions were excessive, unnecessary, and a disproportionate use of force under the totality of the circumstances.”