Delaware News

Grand Jury Indicts Dewey Beach Police Officer

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2019


Picture of the Seal of the Attorney General of the State of Delaware

The Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights & Public Trust announced Tuesday that a grand jury has indicted Dewey Beach police officer Gregory Lynch, Jr. in connection to an August 10 incident near Bellevue Road.

The DOJ alleges that police and EMTs were dispatched on August 10 to assist a victim who had lost consciousness and sustained an injury to the back of his head. The victim was able to sit on a stretcher but kept one foot on the ground and stated that he did not want to go to the hospital. As first responders and witnesses tried to convince the victim to lie down, Lynch grabbed the victim’s leg and put it on the stretcher. When the victim sat up on the stretcher, Lynch allegedly pushed him back down, climbed onto the stretcher, and repeatedly punched him in the face, causing the stretcher to rise off the ground and requiring others to hold the stretcher down to prevent it from flipping over. Officer Lynch then handcuffed the victim to the stretcher and pulled him into an ambulance by his neck. The victim was later treated at Beebe Hospital and diagnosed with a concussion, a broken nose, multiple hematomas, and lacerations to his face.

Lynch later claimed in a sworn affidavit that the victim had committed Strangulation and 2 counts of Offensive Touching of a Law Enforcement Officer, but those claims were contradicted by witness statements. Witnesses at the scene attested that the victim had put his hands up in an attempt to protect his face, but that he had not put his hands around Officer Lynch’s throat as Lynch had claimed in a sworn affidavit. Lynch is charged with Assault Second Degree, Perjury Second Degree, and Official Misconduct. Lynch turned himself in Tuesday and was released on his own recognizance.

The DOJ reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a jury trial at which the State bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Grand Jury Indicts Dewey Beach Police Officer

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2019


Picture of the Seal of the Attorney General of the State of Delaware

The Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights & Public Trust announced Tuesday that a grand jury has indicted Dewey Beach police officer Gregory Lynch, Jr. in connection to an August 10 incident near Bellevue Road.

The DOJ alleges that police and EMTs were dispatched on August 10 to assist a victim who had lost consciousness and sustained an injury to the back of his head. The victim was able to sit on a stretcher but kept one foot on the ground and stated that he did not want to go to the hospital. As first responders and witnesses tried to convince the victim to lie down, Lynch grabbed the victim’s leg and put it on the stretcher. When the victim sat up on the stretcher, Lynch allegedly pushed him back down, climbed onto the stretcher, and repeatedly punched him in the face, causing the stretcher to rise off the ground and requiring others to hold the stretcher down to prevent it from flipping over. Officer Lynch then handcuffed the victim to the stretcher and pulled him into an ambulance by his neck. The victim was later treated at Beebe Hospital and diagnosed with a concussion, a broken nose, multiple hematomas, and lacerations to his face.

Lynch later claimed in a sworn affidavit that the victim had committed Strangulation and 2 counts of Offensive Touching of a Law Enforcement Officer, but those claims were contradicted by witness statements. Witnesses at the scene attested that the victim had put his hands up in an attempt to protect his face, but that he had not put his hands around Officer Lynch’s throat as Lynch had claimed in a sworn affidavit. Lynch is charged with Assault Second Degree, Perjury Second Degree, and Official Misconduct. Lynch turned himself in Tuesday and was released on his own recognizance.

The DOJ reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a jury trial at which the State bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.