Former New Castle County police officer Michael Carnevale pled guilty to one count of offensive touching on July 14th. The plea was connected to a use of force incident that occurred last August involving a 16 year-old girl.
Video evidence, which was released following the case being adjudicated by the Superior Court by the Division of Police, shows Carnevale dragging the juvenile victim across the floor, amongst other actions.
The incident took place within the cell block area of Police Headquarters and was reported to supervisors by other police officers.
Carnevale was immediately placed on administrative leave.
Simultaneous investigations were conducted by the Division of Police Criminal Investigations Unit, the Delaware Department of Justice, and the Division of Police Professional Standards Unit.
New Castle County police chief Colonel Joseph Bloch said in a statement:
“The actions of Mr. Carnevale seen in the video are not within the policies and procedures of the New Castle County Police and do not reflect the values and standards of the Division. Although I am disgusted that this incident took place, I am pleased that through the hard work of the Department of Justice – Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust and our internal investigators, Mr. Carnevale was held accountable for his actions and will never serve in law enforcement again. The New Castle County Division of Police prides itself on the relationships we have built within the communities we serve. I am hopeful that our immediate response to this incident demonstrates our commitment to holding ourselves accountable and builds upon the public trust that we have established over many years of dedicated service.”
Carnevale was decertified by the Council on Police Training and as part of the plea agreement, he will never seek employment or serve in a law enforcement capacity in the future.
Another video released by the Division of Police shows further evidence of violence against the victim:
