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Suffolk County Police Officer Matthew Cameron, age 33, of Commack, was charged Thursday, Dec. 2, with offering a false instrument for filing, said Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini.
The indictment comes after a nine-month investigation into the actions of Christopher Cruz who was arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
According to Sini, the special grand jury found reasonable cause to believe that Cameron made a false sworn statement in support of a criminal complaint charging Cruz with resisting arrest.
The investigation revealed that earlier on Tuesday, Feb. 23, St. Charles Hospital had released Cruz after detoxification treatment.
Cruz then obtained cans of hairspray from a local store. An area resident later found several empty hairspray cans in her car, the DA's Office said.
Down the road from where the empty hairspray cans were discovered, Cruz found an unlocked Jeep Grand Cherokee with its key fob inside and drove away, the DA's Office said.
SCPD officers found Cruz driving the stolen vehicle and pursued him during which he collided with two police vehicles and almost hit officers before the Jeep became stuck in the snow, police said.
Officers broke the Jeep’s window to remove Cruz and a body camera began recording after he had been handcuffed.
An officer then brought Cruz to his feet, restraining him by holding the back of Cruz’s coat. While Cruz was standing up, held by the officer, Cameron moved behind Cruz, allegedly kicked Cruz in his right calf, and pushed him in the back, the DA's Office said.
The officer's then grappled with Cruz to get him under control.
The officers all denied assaulting Cruz and asserted that any application of force was intended to subdue and secure Cruz following a dangerous police chase and his resistance to apprehension, the DA's Office said.
No other officers were found to have done anything wrong by the grand jury.
Cameron was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.
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