The Bethel Police Department officer charged with assaulting a man in 2014 was sentenced to four months in prison. Andrew Reid pleaded guilty to assault and official misconduct Thursday. Officials spoke about the case in Anchorage Wednesday.
“When the very people entrusted with protecting Alaskans abuse their positions and assault our citizens, it is a breach of trust that must be punished,” said Jahna Lindemuth, the Attorney General of Alaska.
Surveillance video provided by radio station KYUK shows Reid throwing Wassillie Gregory to the ground in 2014. Gregory was intoxicated and originally pled guilty to harassing an officer before the video spread.
The special agent in charge of the Anchorage FBI office described uncovering public corruption as “a number one priority.” Marlin Ritzman said their investigation was thorough, hence Reid being sentenced roughly two years after the incident.
“The vast majority of law enforcement officers out there are good people doing a very, very difficult job,” said Ritzman. “It is the anomaly when something rises to this level that someone is actually charged for going beyond what the law permits.”
The Alaska Department of Law expressed a similar sentiment.
“In the same way that you can have a barrel of apples, sometimes there are bad ones. And where those bad ones are found, they will be removed,” said John Skidmore, the director of the department’s criminal division.
Reid, who now lives in the Lower 48, will lose his police certificate.
Gregory was awarded $175,000 from the City of Bethel after a separate lawsuit last year.
KTVA 11′s Eric Ruble can be reached via email or on Facebook and Twitter.
