An Albany Police officer has been arrested following an investigation into a March 16 incident in the city.

Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins and Mayor Kathy Sheehan confirmed the arrest of Officer Luke Deer in a Tuesday press conference. Deer was arraigned Tuesday in city court, charged with second-degree assault and official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty. 

The charges come after an investigation of an incident on First Street in mid-March, which followed reports of a loud party. Three were taken into custody; one day later, though, a bystander's cell phone video recorded during the incident was forwarded to a city employee.

After the video was reviewed, the APD launched an investigation, which "revealed Officer Deer had clearly acted inappropriately and had violated this department's standard operating procedures," Hawkins said. Deer was suspended immediately without pay; two other officers, according to the chief, were also suspended without pay for their conduct.

"The conduct of some of the officers was not reflective of the elite status the APD has earned in law enforcement circles," Hawkins said.

Hawkins said body camera footage was also reviewed in regards to the incident; that will not be released to the public due to ongoing investigations, he said. The charges against the three people arrested on March 16 were dropped Wednesday by the Albany County District Attorney's office.

The arrest report identifies the victim as Armando Sanchez.

According to documents, he was charged with obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.

Charges against Lee Childs have already been dismissed. He was charged with criminal nuisance and obstructing governmental administration.

 

 

Mario Gorostiza is charged with inciting a riot, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. 
 
In a statement, the Albany Police Officers Union calls Deer an exceptional officer and goes on to say "this house has been allowed to disrupt the normal way of life in the neighborhood for far too long. Each and every officer involved, will through the appropriate process have the opportunity to vindicate their names."