A judge in Prince George’s County, Maryland, has denied a Bladensburg officer’s motion to dismiss his case in an excessive force complaint following an incident the police chief called “deeply concerning” Monday.
Officer Michael Luciotti was indicted Feb. 11 after a woman said he used excessive force during a traffic stop in February 2020.
“Our preliminary investigation revealed the citizen sustained facial and head injuries while in custody and in handcuffs,” Bladensburg police said in a statement.
Police Chief Tyrone Collington, Sr. said, “It was deeply concerning to me after learning about the details of the complaint and then reviewing the body worn camera footage of the traffic stop.”
“I demand that our officers respect the constitutional rights of every citizen. We will not tolerate mistreatment of any citizen of the community that we swore an oath to serve and protect.”
Collington added that body-worn cameras “work and help shed light on injustice when injustice occurs.”
“The alleged actions of Michael A. Luciotti do not reflect the professional service and hard work of the men and women of the Bladensburg Police Department,” he said. “This is not what our residents want nor expect from our officers. The criminal process is underway and should serve as a sobering reminder that our officers are and will continue to be held to the highest standards of law and expectations of human dignity.”
According to authorities, Luciotti was already on suspension for a separate personnel matter when the grand jury indictment came down.
He was arraigned Feb. 26 on second-degree assault and misconduct in office charges.
Last Tuesday, a judge denied Luciotti’s motion to dismiss.
