A Baltimore police officer has been found guilty of second-degree assault and misconduct in office after a video appeared to show him spitting on a man in handcuffs last year.
Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a statement that Sgt. Robert Messner, a 34-year veteran of the force, was sentenced on Thursday to two years of probation, a $500 fine, anger management, community service and reassignment.
Messner's police powers were suspended Oct. 13 after a video surfaced of an arrest the prior day. The video seems to show Messner spitting on 31-year-old Alfred Evans, who was handcuffed on the ground at the time.
Messner told the judge he has a condition that caused chewing gum to fall out of his mouth at the moment the video was filmed.
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