Body
camera footage proved enough to convict Samuel Rosario, a former Springfield
police office, in a Sangamon County courtroom on Wednesday.
The
jury convicted Samuel Rosario of official misconduct, a felony, and misdemeanor
battery involving insulting or provoking behavior. The jury acquitted Rosario
of a second count of battery that required proof of bodily harm, but the acquittal
is a hollow victory, as the felony conviction likely will preclude Rosario from
ever again working as a police officer. He was immediately suspended, then fired after the incident.
Rosario
sat stone-faced through the trial, which began Tuesday and ended
Wednesday afternoon with his conviction. He did not change expression when the
verdict was announced after slightly more than an hour of deliberations.
Robert
Humes, the victim, did not testify, and so the case hinged on body camera
footage that showed Rosario challenging Humes to a fight, then pummeling him after
the officer was called to Humes’ home in February 2017 to investigate a
damage-to-property complaint. Humes had complained and insulted Rosario almost
as soon as the officer arrived at the east side house. Video of the fight has gone viral on YouTube.
Shortly
after the altercation, Rosario returned to the home and apologized. Humes
responded by saying “No, no –it’s cool,” as if the officer was a friend. Humes
later told command-level officers that Rosario should be promoted, with the
conversation captured by a body camera, but the jury didn’t see that video. In
the end, Humes’ opinion didn’t count.
“We
knew it was an uphill climb,” Dan Fultz, Rosario’s lawyer said after the
verdict came in.
At
least nine uniformed Springfield officers sat in the courtroom Wednesday to
show support for the defendant.
Contact
Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Aug 22-28, 2019.
