CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A former police officer caught on camera throwing a handcuffed woman to the ground will get no prison time according to a ruling handed down Tuesday.
The incident happened at the Hickory Police Department in 2013. The video showed Robert George slamming Chelsea Doolittle to the concrete while she was in custody.
Earlier this year, George was convicted by a federal jury for using unreasonable force. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to four years’ probation for the crime. George was facing up to ten years in prison.
The 2013 incident started from a parking violation Doolittle received in 2013, which led to a punishment that did not fit the crime. On Tuesday, cameras were rolling as the former officer walked into a federal courthouse to face his punishment.
Doolittle had brutal injuries to her face following the incident. No cameras were in the courtroom, but she spoke during the hearing, saying, "This has ruined my life."
For Doolittle, the injuries were a big price to pay for an improper parking violation which led to charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. That’s what landed her in the patrol car and ultimately led up to the brutal incident.
George was initially on paid leave before he was fired from the department in January 2014. A Hickory Police spokesperson told NBC Charlotte the department immediately called for an outside, independent investigation in November 2013.
The spokesperson said the department has no further comment about the sentencing on Tuesday.