UPDATED: Yonkers PD Officer Indicted For Assault During Arrest: DA

This article has been updated with Yonkers Police Department body cam footage of the incident, and quotes from Yonkers Police Department Commissioner Christopher Sapienza and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano.

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Prosecutors say a fraught police chase ended in violence and now a police sergeant is facing felony charges.

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced on Monday that a Yonkers Police Department sergeant was indicted on assault charges for repeatedly kicking and punching a suspect during an arrest in March.

"Police officers are sworn to protect us and uphold the law. The Yonkers Police Department was proactive in identifying one of their officers as acting outside their training policies and promptly referred this matter to my Office," Rocah said. "The facts learned during the course of our investigation were presented to a Grand Jury who returned an indictment charging the defendant with offenses related to his alleged use of excessive force."

Detective Sergeant Hector Cartagena, 55, was indicted by a Westchester County Grand Jury for felony second degree assault, felony second degree attempted assault, and misdemeanor third degree assault.

SEE ALSO: Officer Investigated For Excessive Force After Stolen Car Chase

Shortly before 10 a.m. on March 14, while a suspect was being placed into custody, Cartagena allegedly kicked the suspect four times and punched him 10 times in the face, causing him to sustain a fractured orbital bone.

Right before the incident, the suspect allegedly led police on a high-speed chase after reports he had stolen a vehicle. Police say that during the pursuit, the suspect caused collisions with Yonkers police vehicles, injured several officers, drove recklessly, and disobeyed traffic laws. The pursuit ended in a crash on Warburton Ave. and Glenwood Ave. in Yonkers. The suspect is being prosecuted by the DA’s Office on grand larceny, assault and reckless endangerment charges.

According to the Yonkers Police Department, their Internal Affairs Division conducted a preliminary investigation at the scene and determined that Cartagena used force in a manner not consistent with department policies. Yonkers police placed the defendant on restrictive duty and referred the matter to the Westchester County DA's Office.

Cartagena was arrested on Monday by the DA’s Office Criminal Investigator’s Squad and was arraigned before NYS Supreme Court Justice James McCarty in Westchester County Court. His next court date is July 31.

The case is being prosecuted by the Public Integrity and Law Enforcement Integrity Bureau of the Trials and Investigations Division.

After the DA's announcement that Cartagena was indicted and arrested, the Yonkers Police Department said in a statement that Cartagena has been suspended without pay. He has been a member of the department for 24 years and was assigned to the Crime Scene Unit.

"After a review of this incident, I am outraged by the actions of this particular supervisor. His actions serve to negate the great work exhibited by the other officers involved to safely apprehend the suspect at the scene," YPD Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said. "His actions further harm our relationship with the community, which we have worked so hard to build. Our immediate Internal Investigation and swift referral to an outside agency for investigation show that such behavior will not be tolerated by this department. We appreciate the objective and thorough review of the incident completed by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and we will continue to cooperate with them as appropriate. Our mission and commitment to our community remains steadfast-we are here to serve you with integrity and respect."

The police department also released body cam footage from the incident:

"The actions of this police supervisor are indefensible. It’s the very definition of disrespect for the badge and we condemn it," said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. "This unfortunate incident should not be a reflection of the men and women who serve and protect this City with integrity every day. That's why we initiated this investigation and alerted the proper authorities, ensuring our role in constitutional policing. We have made substantial changes to our policies and procedures when it comes to excessive force and we will continue to review our internal policies and procedures to prevent this from happening again. This type of behavior will never be tolerated."