Crime & Safety
Prosecutor Claims Abuse of Power in Maryland Student Beating Trial
The officers were charged with first and second-degree assault.
The trial opened today for two Prince George's County police officers accused of beating a University of Maryland student in March 2010 after a UMD vs. Duke basketball game.
The officers, Reginald Baker and James Harrison, are charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and misconduct in office. The victim was UMD student John J. McKenna.
The officers "abused their power, broke trust, and violated the law. For that abuse they must be held responsible," said prosecutor Joseph Ruddy during his opening statement, according to an NBC 4 story.
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Defense attorneys claim the police were ordered to have "zero tolerance for people who broke the law" that night, according to the NBC 4 story.
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