Police Officer Indicted For Video Of Assaulting Prisoner

GERMANTOWN, MD — A grand jury indicted a former Montgomery County police officer on charges of misconduct in office and second-degree assault after a video showed him using physical force against a male prisoner.

Devon Hitson, 32, was hired as a Montgomery County Police Officer in February 2014 and was a patrol officer in Germantown.

Hitson was caught on video assaulting a prisoner inside a holding cell in Germantown on Aug. 1, 2017, police said.

The video "showed Officer Hitson assaulting the adult male prisoner in the holding cell while the prisoner was handcuffed behind his back," police said.

Hitson was suspended from duty as a Montgomery County Police Officer and his police powers were removed on August 8, 2017.

The grand jury found Hitson guilty after reviewing the holding cell video, police said. Hitson remains on paid, administrative leave.

“Earning and maintaining the public’s trust is critical to the success of every police department," Chief J. Thomas Manger said in a statement. "When an officer abuses his or her authority, he or she must be held accountable.”

An update will be provided to the public when the criminal case has concluded, police said. The department's internal affairs division will conduct its own investigation.

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