A Woodlynne, N.J., policeman was charged with assault for pepper spraying two Black men without being provoked as they sat on their front porch in an incident caught on video last week, according to NJ.com.
Ryan Dubiel, 31, is charged with two counts of simple assault, the Camden County (N.J.) Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
The officer then used pepper spray on a man and a 15-year-old boy, while being seen on video posing no threat to his safety.
“Under the current Use of Force protocols, a police officer is permitted to use force when a subject refuses to comply with an officer’s commands at the time of arrest, or when the subject threatens the officer’s safety,” the statement says.
But Dubiel’s actions broke those protocols, said Camden County prosecutor Jill S. Mayer said, NJ.com reports.
