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A Michigan State Police trooper has been acquitted of criminal charges after punching a Black man more than a dozen times during a 2022 jaywalking stop in Saginaw.
A Saginaw County jury found 47-year-old Trooper Paul Arrowood not guilty Monday (October 26) following a five-day trial, according to WNEM. He faced common-law misconduct in office, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, and misdemeanor assault and battery.
The incident, captured on body camera footage, happened on September 4, 2022, when Arrowood and another trooper approached Michael Wilson, who was walking in the roadway on Webber Street.
Although Wilson moved back toward the sidewalk, the troopers grabbed him and brought him to the ground. Arrowood then struck Wilson repeatedly with closed fists and his knees, according to MLive.
During the trial, Arrowood's attorney, Paul Tylenda, argued that Wilson resisted and that Arrowood’s response followed his training.
"The officer's training and experience as to the response to the event and to the scene was consistent across the work by all the officers," Tylenda told ABC12.
Ven Johnson, Wilson's attorney in a civil lawsuit against Arrowood and other troopers, criticized the verdict.
"This was a disgusting display of policing," Johnson told ABC12. He also warned that the acquittal could discourage prosecutors from pursuing criminal cases against police officers.
The Michigan State Police said its Professional Standards Section will investigate whether Arrowood violated department policies. He will remain on administrative leave during the review.
Arrowood has been on unpaid leave since the September 2022 incident, ABC12 reported.
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