A longtime Prince George’s County, Maryland, police officer was convicted Tuesday of assaulting a handcuffed teen after a 2020 traffic stop.
Prince George’s County police Cpl. Darryl Wormuth, 46, was found guilty of second-degree assault and misconduct in office following a bench trial before Circuit Court Judge Gladys Weatherspoon.
In a bench trial, a judge rather than a jury decides the outcome of a case.
Wormuth was conducting a traffic stop on Oct. 20, 2020, when he encountered the 17-year-old, according to a news release from Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
After the teen was handcuffed, Wormuth grabbed the teen by the neck and assaulted him, prosecutors said. The teen was not seriously hurt.
“This was a case in which a young man who was placed in handcuffs and fully compliant was unnecessarily assaulted by Corporal Wormuth,” Braveboy said in a statement.
“I am very pleased with the judge’s decision, and I want to thank the prosecutors for their hard work on this case. I also want to thank the officers who came forward despite how unpopular it would be. It is largely because of their willingness to do the right thing that we were able to deliver justice today.”
The case came to light after several other officers told supervisors they witnessed Wormuth’s rough treatment of the teen.
Wormuth has been with the department since 2007. In 2018, Wormuth was lauded as a hero for rescuing a baby girl who left in a hot car.
In 2021, police officials said he had been suspended without pay after he was indicted by a grand jury in April of that year.
His current status with the department is unclear. WTOP has reached out to the department for clarification.
Wormuth is due to be sentenced on May 26.
