On Tuesday, a magistrate charged a Charlottesville officer with assault and battery for his role in the arrest of a Black man in March.
Jeffrey Jaeger has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery six months after he responded to a disorder in Charlottesville, Virginia.
On March 3, Jaeger and two unnamed officers arrested two civilians at the scene of the disorder. One person was arrested for public intoxication and obstruction of justice, and the other for an unspecified warrant.
Although neither of the residents have been named, records show that two Black men named Dyron McFarlane and Andre Henderson were arrested for these charges at that location on the same day, local newspaper The Daily Progress reported. Henderson’s warrant was for failure to appear in court for a misdemeanor charge.
McFarlane, charged with public intoxication, was found not guilty on July 24. A complaint against the three officers was filed after police body camera footage was played in court prior to McFarlane’s verdict.
According to the complaint, an officer assaulted one of the men who was arrested. Because they complaint alleged that an officer was guilty of criminal wrongdoing, it was turned over to the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania requested a full investigation be conducted regarding the matter, and found that there was probable cause for assault and battery charges on Monday. The police department was the allowed to appear before the magistrate to request a warrant for the involved officer, and on Tuesday, a magistrate issued a warrant charging Jaeger.
It’s not clear if the warrant has been served, and the other two officers involved are participating in the Charlottesville Police Department’s disciplinary procedures.
The Charlottesville Police Department said it had no further comments on the matter.
Jaeger is set to appear in court on September 14. He has worked with the department for four years, and it is not clear whether he has been placed on leave.
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