Reykjavík District Court has found a police officer guilty of assault committed during an arrest that sparked controversy last summer.
Vísir reports that the court believed the officer responded with disproportionate violence when he arrested a young woman on Laugavegur last July. He has been sentenced to pay a 300,000 ISK fine, 229,000 ISK in damages to the woman he assaulted, and 68,000 ISK in legal fees.
As reported last July, the police officer was driving a van down Laugavegur when he encountered the woman, intoxicated and in the street. In the video below, the officer can be seen pushing the woman from the van with the door, stepping out, and then grabbing her by the arm. He then swings her backwards, striking a sidewalk bench, before she falls face-first into the street.
Shortly after the video spread through social media, the State Prosecutor’s office announced that the officer had been charged with assault and violation of public service. He was then put on leave, and has not yet been back on the job.
The victim of the assault was also sentenced to a 90-day suspended sentence, for having spat in the police officer’s face. The police have said they are considering appealing the verdict.
Below is the video of the arrest (warning: may be disturbing to some viewers):
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