North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A Wilmington police officer on unpaid leave for nearly two years is getting ready to stand trial on a charges he used excessive force arresting a teen.
The StarNews of Wilmington reports that James Johnson is asking a judge to decide whether he is guilty of simple assault and failure to discharge duties in his trial starting Tuesday.
Authorities said Johnson put his hands around a 16-year-old boy’s neck while he was in handcuffs and asked him if he wanted to die after arresting him in 2014.
The teen pleaded guilty to trespassing and resisting an officer.
Authorities say Johnson was charged after internal affairs reviewed his use-of-force report and dashboard camera video after the arrest.
Johnson has been on unpaid leave since he was charged in June 2014.
