Bridget Reed Morawski
A Prince George’s County police officer has been indicted in relation to the beating of a child in December.
He was indicted on one count of second degree child abuse and on one account of second degree assault. He has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings, though his court date has yet to be determined.
The indictment stems from an incident in December 2015 where Marlett spanked his girlfriend’s child after the three year old soiled the bed. The officer spanked the child so hard that he hit his head on the wall and lost consciousness.
The mother then entered the room and found Marlett performing CPR on her child. The child was then transported to Children’s National Medical Center. The child was suffering a concussion, and also had a bruise above his eye.
The child still remains in his mother’s custody, and the officer is barred from being near the child.
Marlett admitted to the details of the spanking, according to John Erzen, the Communications Director for the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney.
While the county spokesman believes that parents have a right to ascribe appropriate punishments to their child, Erzen says that this was a step too far.
“We feel there’s certainly no excuse for the conduct,” said Erzen. “The fact that a child is spanked hard enough that it moves them, forcing them to hit their head against the wall hard enough not only to cause a bruise and to cause a concussion, but to knock them unconscious.”
“To do something like that,” Erzen added, “You had to have hit your head against the wall pretty hard for all three of those things to have happened.”
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