The Rochester Police Officer who was convicted of misdemeanor assault last month has been fired. 

Michael Sippel was found guilty of third-degree assault by a judge. 

The charges stemmed from an incident last year in which Sippel and his partner, Spenser McAvoy, stopped Christopher Pate, who they claim matched the description of a burglary suspect. Pate claimed his bookbag was ripped off, tased and punched in the face after he was asked to show his ID.

He suffered a fractured eye and broken jaw as a result. 

The police department confirmed Wednesday that Sippel's conviction violated oath of office. According to public officers law, "no person shall remain a member of the Police Department who has been convicted of any crime."

Police say the exception are motor vehicle related misdemeanors. 

Interim RPD Chief La'Ron Singletary said in a statement:

"I remain steadfast in supporting the officers of this department who go out and place their lives on the line for this community. As a department we remain committed to working with our residents to stregthen police-community relations and further improve the safety of our City for all."

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