In a joint announcement Tuesday, the Delaware Department of Justice and Delaware State Police announced felony charges against 29-year-old Dempsey R. Walters, who has been with the state police agency for almost seven years. He remains suspended without pay or benefits, though has not been terminated.
Officials said Walters was on duty when the incident occurred. He turned off his body camera during the assault, officials said, but a program in the device meant it was still capturing video. There was no audio.
Officials released Walters' body-cam video, showing him walking up to the back of a Delaware State Police SUV that was holding the handcuffed boy. Another trooper backs out of the way as Walters strikes the boy in the face.
Walters then walks around the SUV until he again comes to where the boy is being held and flashes a light at the teen, who turns his body to face the inside the the vehicle. Walters hits the button to turn his body camera on, activating its audio.
"You sure about that?" Walters is heard saying.
"Please tell me what I did? Please tell me what I did?" the boy asks.
Walters was charged with second-degree assault, a felony; deprivation of civil rights, a felony; two counts of third-degree assault, misdemeanors; and two counts of official misconduct, also misdemeanors.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings said Tuesday that the man "chose to extract his own form of personal justice" by "embarking on a violent rampage."
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