Commissioners fire PPD officer accused of using excessive force
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
September 22, 2015
Kat Russell / The Paducah Sun
A Paducah police officer was terminated Monday after the Board of City Commissioners concluded he had used excessive force to restrain and control a suspect on June 29.
Michael Redmon, who had been on the force for 12 years, was accused of choking Joseph Cerullo, 20, and banging his head against a wall while Cerullo’s hands were cuffed behind his back.
Redmon was charged with violating several police department policies and conduct unbecoming an officer. He was suspended with pay on June 30 and later suspended again without pay.
On Monday, a disciplinary hearing was held before the board at City Hall to determine if excessive force was used and whether Redmon’s actions warranted termination.
According to a PPD report, Cerullo was arrested on June 28 after he allegedly jumped over the counter at the Subway restaurant inside Lourdes hospital and assaulted a woman, who was later identified as his girlfriend.
An officer in the vicinity attempted to stop Cerullo from fleeing, but Cerullo brandished a knife, tried to slash the officer and ran, the report states. Cerullo then allegedly fled across Lone Oak Road and jumped into a car that had stopped in the roadway. The car was later identified as belonging to his grandmother. He was apprehended later that evening.
When apprehended, police said Cerullo claimed he had overdosed on medicine. He was admitted overnight at Lourdes, where doctors classified him as suicidal.
The following morning, Redmon was assigned to take Cerullo from the hospital to McCracken County Jail, according to testimony at Monday’s hearing.
During the hearing, several people were called to testify including Redmon, PPD Chief Brandon Barnhill, hospital staff members and PPD officers. Cerullo invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify, saying it could be used against him in his assault case.
Despite objections from Redmon’s attorney, Jeremy Ian Smith, the city commissioners heard a taped interview police conducted with Cerullo following the excessive force complaint.
In his statement, Cerullo said that Redmon grabbed him by the throat, lifted him off the ground and pinned him to a wall. He then said the officer threw him to the ground, threw him on a hospital bed and pinned his arms in a painful manner.
“It was more than uncomfortable, it was extremely painful,” Cerullo stated in the taped interview.
Hospital staff members testified to seeing Redmon do this and also said Cerullo was verbally combative and called the officer offensive names prior to and throughout the incident.
Redmon testified that the choking was accidental and that his hand had slipped to Cerullo’s neck while he was trying to restrain him. To an untrained eye, Redmon said, he could see how it might have appeared he was choking Cerullo, but the officer argued that he never squeezed Cerullo’s throat.
When he released Cerullo, Redmon said he believed Cerullo was trying to flee. In response, Redmon said he took hold of Cerrullo’s arms and tried to sit him down, but Cerullo resisted and it took two people to pin him on the bed. Throughout the entire altercation, Redmon said Cerullo was screaming profanities and calling him a “pig” and other names. The incident lasted a few minutes, Redmon said.
“I didn’t do it like they say I did,” Redmon said. “I am not a monster like I am being painted.”
Barhill testified about the department’s investigation and its findings, saying that Redmon’s actions concerned him.
“Not only did (Redmon) choke Mr. Cerullo once, it happened twice and Mr. Cerullo was a handcuffed prisoner,” Barnhill said. “I don’t understand the motivation of Officer Redmon in this instance nor can we reconcile our minds around it.”
Barnhill also said Redmon was an officer with 12 years’ experience and should have known to use other tactics to subdue Cerullo.
In Redmon’s defense, Smith argued the department’s investigation into the incident was shoddy and that the department was fast tracking Redmon’s termination in order to avoid public scrutiny.
“(Cerullo) had no injuries whatsoever,” Smith said. “He got no treatment, and he was in a hospital when this happened. If he was injured, they would have kept him there and treated him.”
Smith also argued there was no damage done to the hospital room and there were no marks on Cerullo’s neck or body.
“It just makes completely no sense,” Smith said.
After eight hours of testimony from about a dozen witnesses, the Board of City Commissioners went in to a closed session to deliberate. After about an hour, they returned with a unanimous decision to terminate Redmon.
Following the decision, Barnhill said Redmon’s actions “were found to be inconsistent with training, policy and standards throughout law enforcement.”
“We must be justified in situations where force is used in order to maintain integrity within our agency, the profession, and our community,” he said.
Smith said he plans to appeal the decision based on the fact that the “hearing violated his client’s Sixth Amendment right,” to cross-examine and confront witnesses, as well as other rights.
“The result was not unexpected considering the circumstances,” Smith said. “The cards were stacked against us. But the stories did not fit the evidence, that much was clear.”
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
Michael Redmon, who had been on the force for 12 years, was accused of choking Joseph Cerullo, 20, and banging his head against a wall while Cerullo’s hands were cuffed behind his back.
Redmon was charged with violating several police department policies and conduct unbecoming an officer. He was suspended with pay on June 30 and later suspended again without pay.
On Monday, a disciplinary hearing was held before the board at City Hall to determine if excessive force was used and whether Redmon’s actions warranted termination.
According to a PPD report, Cerullo was arrested on June 28 after he allegedly jumped over the counter at the Subway restaurant inside Lourdes hospital and assaulted a woman, who was later identified as his girlfriend.
An officer in the vicinity attempted to stop Cerullo from fleeing, but Cerullo brandished a knife, tried to slash the officer and ran, the report states. Cerullo then allegedly fled across Lone Oak Road and jumped into a car that had stopped in the roadway. The car was later identified as belonging to his grandmother. He was apprehended later that evening.
When apprehended, police said Cerullo claimed he had overdosed on medicine. He was admitted overnight at Lourdes, where doctors classified him as suicidal.
The following morning, Redmon was assigned to take Cerullo from the hospital to McCracken County Jail, according to testimony at Monday’s hearing.
During the hearing, several people were called to testify including Redmon, PPD Chief Brandon Barnhill, hospital staff members and PPD officers. Cerullo invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify, saying it could be used against him in his assault case.
Despite objections from Redmon’s attorney, Jeremy Ian Smith, the city commissioners heard a taped interview police conducted with Cerullo following the excessive force complaint.
In his statement, Cerullo said that Redmon grabbed him by the throat, lifted him off the ground and pinned him to a wall. He then said the officer threw him to the ground, threw him on a hospital bed and pinned his arms in a painful manner.
“It was more than uncomfortable, it was extremely painful,” Cerullo stated in the taped interview.
Hospital staff members testified to seeing Redmon do this and also said Cerullo was verbally combative and called the officer offensive names prior to and throughout the incident.
Redmon testified that the choking was accidental and that his hand had slipped to Cerullo’s neck while he was trying to restrain him. To an untrained eye, Redmon said, he could see how it might have appeared he was choking Cerullo, but the officer argued that he never squeezed Cerullo’s throat.
When he released Cerullo, Redmon said he believed Cerullo was trying to flee. In response, Redmon said he took hold of Cerrullo’s arms and tried to sit him down, but Cerullo resisted and it took two people to pin him on the bed. Throughout the entire altercation, Redmon said Cerullo was screaming profanities and calling him a “pig” and other names. The incident lasted a few minutes, Redmon said.
“I didn’t do it like they say I did,” Redmon said. “I am not a monster like I am being painted.”
Barhill testified about the department’s investigation and its findings, saying that Redmon’s actions concerned him.
“Not only did (Redmon) choke Mr. Cerullo once, it happened twice and Mr. Cerullo was a handcuffed prisoner,” Barnhill said. “I don’t understand the motivation of Officer Redmon in this instance nor can we reconcile our minds around it.”
Barnhill also said Redmon was an officer with 12 years’ experience and should have known to use other tactics to subdue Cerullo.
In Redmon’s defense, Smith argued the department’s investigation into the incident was shoddy and that the department was fast tracking Redmon’s termination in order to avoid public scrutiny.
“(Cerullo) had no injuries whatsoever,” Smith said. “He got no treatment, and he was in a hospital when this happened. If he was injured, they would have kept him there and treated him.”
Smith also argued there was no damage done to the hospital room and there were no marks on Cerullo’s neck or body.
“It just makes completely no sense,” Smith said.
After eight hours of testimony from about a dozen witnesses, the Board of City Commissioners went in to a closed session to deliberate. After about an hour, they returned with a unanimous decision to terminate Redmon.
Following the decision, Barnhill said Redmon’s actions “were found to be inconsistent with training, policy and standards throughout law enforcement.”
“We must be justified in situations where force is used in order to maintain integrity within our agency, the profession, and our community,” he said.
Smith said he plans to appeal the decision based on the fact that the “hearing violated his client’s Sixth Amendment right,” to cross-examine and confront witnesses, as well as other rights.
“The result was not unexpected considering the circumstances,” Smith said. “The cards were stacked against us. But the stories did not fit the evidence, that much was clear.”
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
