Utica Public Info Officer Gets Suspended by the Mayor After Assaulting and Arresting People Recording His Crimes

(Detroit News) A Utica police detective sergeant has been placed on leave after an online video surfaced of the officer using profanity and charging at a man who had filmed him during an encounter, the department said Thursday.

"The City of Utica takes these issues seriously and an investigation into the incident has been initiated," Deputy Chief Matthew Kaluzny wrote in a statement, adding the sergeant "has been placed on leave pending a full and transparent investigation into the matter."

Other details about the Wednesday incident were not released. The statement did not name the officer, who was identified in the video posted on YouTube as Detective Sgt. Greg Morabito. He couldn't be reached for comment Thursday night.

Reached Thursday night, Utica Mayor Gus Calandrino confirmed Morabito was suspended earlier in the day but said he could not comment further, citing the probe.

Meanwhile, Steve Jones, who runs the Fricn Media channel on YouTube and recorded and posted the footage Wednesday, said he's considering a lawsuit after Morabito allegedly rough-handled him when he went to file a complaint related to the encounter.

"At a minimum, he should be reprimanded," Jones, who lives in the Lansing area, told The Detroit News.

According to the 16-minute clip, Morabito and at least two other police officers responded to a Marathon gas station after a driver complained about a man filming him.