A Brooklyn jury has acquitted a man who was accused of biting off and eating a police officer’s finger on Monday (Nov. 26), the New York Daily News reports.
Ainsley Johnson, 34, was reportedly released from prison on Nov. 26, after he was found not guilty at trial. He previously served seven months in prison for the alleged crime.
Brooklyn police arrested Johnson in Apr. 2018 after he allegedly broke the windows of a BMW vehicle. He was later charged with criminal mischief at the Canarsie precinct. Authorities said Johnson grew agitated and fought with one of the officers who was trying to restrain him with handcuffs. As the two fought, Johnson allegedly bit off Police Officer Michael Hawk’s, 24, lefthand finger at the cuticle and swallowed it. Police also charged Johnson with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
Despite police reports, surveillance footage that was rolling during the incident worked in Johnson’s favor. The video reportedly showed the officers throwing Johnson on the floor as four others jumped him. Johnson only bit Officer Hawk’s finger off after he attempted to cover the 34-year-old’s mouth, Johnson’s attorney Michael Biniakewitz, said.
“It’s as clear as day that (Johnson) was not resisting and cooperative when the officer threw him to the ground,” Biniakewitz said following the not-guilty verdict. “When he was on the floor, his hands were underneath him, but, with four cops sitting on him, prosecutors wanted the jury to believe my client was able to purposely move his face to the officer’s hand to bite him. Every cop on cross admitted that his hands were behind him… They were going to town on him.”
The jury reportedly delivered their verdict within an hour. They concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Johnson of initially vandalizing the BMW, which in turn led to his other offense.
Johnson was reportedly released just in time to see his newborn son at the Maimonides Hospital. “He’s very happy,” Biniakewitz said. “His baby was born on Friday and he was released on Monday so he was able to bring his son home.”
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