WARNING: Video may be disturbing to some
HICKORY, N.C. – A former Hickory police officer has been found guilty of using unreasonable force. The incident happened in 2013 when Robert George pulled a 24-year-old woman from the back of his patrol car and threw her on the ground.
- Reported earlier: Former Hickory Police Officer Found Guilty of Use of Excessive Force
- George is out on bond and plans to appeal.
- Sentencing will not be for held for several weeks.
The woman sustained serious injuries to her face including a broken nose and broken teeth. We have acquired the video surveillance used in court from the Hickory Police Department.
This video was the key piece of evidence used both by the prosecution and the defense. It is jarring, and 12 jurors Thursday took three hours to find Robert George guilty of excessive force.
In the video, you can see when George pulls up to the sally port at the Hickory Police Department.
This took place in November 2013. Chelsea Doolittle was handcuffed in the back seat and refused to take a breathalyzer test just minutes before at Union Square.
Then you see him pause at her door. He testified he asked her three times to get out and she refused. Next, you see him jerk her out, and she hits the ground. Her face slams on the concrete and her body rolls five-six feet away.
George told the court he did not intend to hurt Doolittle, and she had slipped from his grip. He also said he thought she only had a busted lip. Doolittle was taken to the hospital later that night.
He is out on bond and says he plans to appeal. Sentencing will not be for held for several weeks.