‘He asked me if I was American’: New Orleans man allegedly beaten by NOPD officers tells story

Story via the New Orleans Advocate:
BY RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS | RVARGAS@THEADVOCATE.COM PUBLISHED JUL 24, 2018 AT 5:26 PM | UPDATED JUL 25, 2018 AT 7:26 AM

The New Orleans Police Department arrested two of its own officers and began the process of firing them after an off-duty fight with a civilian early Tuesday near a Mid-City bar, according to authorities.

John Galman and Spencer Sutton — rookies who graduated from the police training academy in December and had not yet completed a required probationary period — were booked on counts of simple battery in connection with an incident that sent the civilian to the hospital.

In a statement, Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said investigators collected video evidence and witness statements which “clearly” established that Galman, 26, and Sutton, 24, were the aggressors in an altercation culminating at Baudin and South Murat streets.

George Gomez, 36, who identified himself as the victim, said he was relieved to learn that Galman and Sutton had been arrested and would be dismissed from the force.

“Members of our department are expected to comply with the law and adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct, whether on- or off-duty,” Harrison’s statement said.

“The swift pace at which the Public Integrity Bureau investigated this incident and the decisive actions taken by the NOPD … by arresting the officers and starting the termination process clearly demonstrate how seriously our department views their actions.”

George Gomez, 36, who identified himself as the victim, said he was relieved to learn that Galman and Sutton had been arrested and would be dismissed from the force.

Gomez still had cuts, bruises, scabs and swelling on his face after being discharged from the hospital later Tuesday, when he shared his recollection of the morning’s events with reporters.