Officer gets probation for assault on teenage student

HOLYOKE, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts police officer has been sentenced to a year of probation for grabbing a 15-year-old high school student by the neck and pushing him against wall, then lying in his report about the incident, authorities say.

Springfield Officer Angel Marrero was sentenced Wednesday after a judge at a bench trial found him guilty of assault and falsifying a police report, MassLive.com reported.

He was also ordered to attend anger management courses, according to a spokesperson for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

Marrero was a school resource officer at the time of the confrontation in February 2019. Marrero in his report wrote that the student called him a vulgar word, threatened him and shoved him in the chest.

Surveillance video, however, showed that the student did not shove the officer.

A department spokesperson said Marrero has been on inside duty and now faces further internal discipline.