Former Dewey Beach Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Assault, Perjury
A former Dewey Beach Police officer has pled guilty to perjury and assault and is permanently banned from serving as a police officer, according to Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.
Gregory Lynch was indicted by the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust in connection with an August 2019 incident. Prosecutors said a review indicated that Lynch climbed onto a stretcher and repeatedly punched an injured person in the face, handcuffed the victim to the stretcher and pulled him into an ambulance by his head.
“Other officers present told investigators that the punches were powerful enough to spray blood from the victim’s face onto their uniforms. Lynch then handcuffed the victim to the stretcher and pulled him into an ambulance by his head. The victim was later diagnosed with a concussion, a broken nose, multiple hematomas, and lacerations to his face.” according to a statement from the Attorney General’s Office.
Lynch also lied in a sworn affidavit that the victim had committed strangulation and two counts of offensive touching of a law enforcement officer. According to investigators, Lynch told a fellow officer “that’s what I do when they don’t comply – I make them felons.” Fellow police officers and EMT’s refuted Lynch’s claims days later.
Lynch will serve one year of Level 3 (intensive supervision) probation. He sacrifices his Council on Police Training certification. Also, Lynch is prohibited from buying or possessing a firearm due to the felony conviction.
“Abuse of authority, brutality, and dishonesty are cardinal sins for any law enforcement officer,” Jennings said. “The defendant’s violent acts harmed his victim and made it harder for his honorable colleagues to do their important work. Today the defendant becomes a felon who will never carry a badge or a gun again. Our thoughts are with his victim, and our thanks are with the EMTs and fellow police who did the right thing by stepping forward to blow the whistle on his actions.”
