LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Four Louisville Metro Police officers who knew two of their colleagues were throwing drinks at citizens in the west end — and recording their actions — but didn't report it have been disciplined by Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, but will remain with the department.
The four officers, including a supervisor, were suspended from between 10 and 30 days without pay, according to an open records request.
In October, a federal judge called the actions of former officers Curtis Flynn and Bryan Wilson "egregious, conscious, shocking behavior," before sending both to prison.
During the sentencing, prosecutors played about a half-dozen of 40 videos Flynn and Wilson made of throwing drinks and containers at citizens.
In addition, the judge asked whether other officers who knew about the actions or participated had been punished. The prosecution said other officers would be disciplined but she could not say when.
Last week, the chief said several punishments had been handed out.
The suspended officers are:
- Sgt. Kevin Casper, who received a 30-day suspension, a demotion and an involuntary unit transfer
- Detective John Benzing, who received a 15-day suspension
- Detective Beau Gadegaard, who received a 10-day suspension
- Detective Joseph Howell, who received a 10-day suspension
Casper, whose discipline was the stiffest short of termination, knew “subordinates in your chain of command were throwing drinks and/or splashing puddles on civilians, recording the events, and/or watching videos of the acts” and he failed to report or stop the misconduct, Gwinn-Villaroel wrote in a July 20 letter.
Gadegaard, on at least one occasion, was following Flynn and Wilson when they threw a drink at a citizen but did not report or attempt to stop the behavior, according to the records.
Benzing was seen in one of the videos in which a drink was thrown, according to the chief.
All of the suspended officers participated in a “chat thread” where a video of at least one instance of misconduct was shared.
The misconduct was carried out by members of the Ninth Mobile Division, which was disbanded in 2019.
In one video, after hitting a man with a drink, one of the convicted officers said, "Dude fell down" and they both laughed.
In another, one of the officers threw a filled container at a woman holding an umbrella in the rain and said, "how about a drink?"
Prosecutors said many other incidents were not recorded and that the officers also drove through puddles to splash citizens.
Flynn was sentenced to three months in prison, three years of supervised release and 120 hours of community service.
Wilson was sentenced to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release and 120 hours of community service. He also faced a separate count of conspiracy to commit cyber stalking for harassing and extorting at least 25 women and threatening to release stolen photos and videos.
This story may be updated.
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