The Euclid police officer under internal investigation for a violent encounter with a suspect was forced to resign from his previous job as a Mentor policeman.
In police records obtained by Channel 3 News, Mentor Police Chief Kevin Knight was set to fire officer Michael Amiott but the officer asked to resign. Knight accepted his resignation. Amiott worked less than a year for the department before signing on with the city of Euclid as a police officer.
Channel 3 News was the first to report on Monday that Amiott was in some kind of hot water in Mentor. Chief Knight said "he struggled to meet our standards", but declined to elaborate.
Records show Amiott pulled over a car with a dealer's plate in the rear, but no front plate. When he told his boss what he had done, Amiott was informed a car with a dealer's plate does not have to display a front plate.
Amiott called his boss back with another reason for pulling the car over. He said the car was weaving. But dashcam video reviewed by both Mentor police and Channel 3 News found that the car wasn't even close to weaving. In fact, the car was driving straight as an arrow before Amiott decided to stop him.
Chief Knight said Amiott provided false information and found him in violation of the Mentor police department's code of conduct which among other things requires officers to be truthful at all times where under oath or not.
Amiott could not be reached for comment. He's on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal police investigation into a violent encounter between him and a suspect in Euclid. Amiott is seen punching and kicking Richard Hubbard repeatedly.
He's also being accused of using excessive force against Euclid city employee Shawn George. George spoke exclusively with theInvestigator Tom Meyer.
He said as a manager for the city's recreation department, he took interest in a juvenile who was handcuffed and on his knees with two Euclid police officers watching over him. One of those officers was officer Amiott. When George began taking pictures, he says Amiott ordered him to stop recording. George says Amiott then slammed his head into a police vehicle before throwing him to the ground and pepper spraying him three times.
"I was frozen in fear. I thought I was going to die," George said.
George was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing justice. He has pleaded not guilty.
Euclid police promise a swift but thorough investigation into the violent confrontation.