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Gwinnett solicitor dismissing 89 cases related to fired officers

A video posted to social media appears to show a Gwinnett County police officer kicking a man in the head as he lies on the ground during a traffic stop. Video credit: Kent Jones.
By Christian Boone
April 14, 2017

Gwinnett County's solicitor general has dismissed 89 cases worked by a pair of officers fired Thursday for punching and stomping a black motorist following a traffic stop.

Rosanna Szabo said Friday she is dropping all cases in which Robert McDonald or Michael Bongiovanni were either the principal officer or a necessary witness. Sixty-three cases were dismissed in Gwinnett County Recorder’s Court and 26 in Gwinnett County State Court.

All were traffic or misdemeanor or traffic offenses.

McDonald was fired Thursday afternoon after he was captured on a cell phone video kicking a handcuffed man in the head as he lay on the ground. Hours later, a second video surfaced showing Bongiovanni punching that same man. He was fired as well.

“When police officers betray the public’s trust and confidence, justice demands that all those cases that depend on their credibility be dismissed without delay,” said a statement from Szabo’s office.

About the Author

A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.

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