by TChris

Lamont Koonce made a mistake when he was pulled over by Petersburg, Virginia police officer Michael Tweedy. Koonce got out of his car and ran. Eventually he surrendered, but what happened next is a far greater crime than Koonce's attempt to evade an arrest.

Koonce ... put his hands in the air. Tweedy then sprayed Koonce with a "substantial" amount of pepper spray, causing Koonce to fall, court papers said. Moments later, Tweedy ran over to a handcuffed Koonce and "forcefully" stomped on his head several times, court papers said. He then returned several times to Koonce and delivered multiple blows to his head.

Koonce was in a coma for more than two months. Yesterday, Tweedy entered a guilty plea to a federal civil rights charge. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed a charge that Tweedy had falsified reports to cover up his misconduct and to shield other officers who played a role in the beating.

Police officers have a duty to let courts determine what punishment, if any, an arrestee deserves. Beating a suspect to send a message about the importance of obeying the police is unacceptable. Tweedy's conviction sends a more important message, as articulated by U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty: "Those who have been sworn to protect the law have a special duty to obey the law."