A former Lawrence Police Department officer will face a battery charge after investigations found he used excessive force when responding to a domestic disturbance call. Frank McClelland resigned from the department at the end of August.
Lawrence Police Chief Tarik Khatib says another officer reported the incident, which occurred on August 16th. Khatib says an internal investigation found McClelland used excessive force and violated department policy.
“I took this matter very seriously and we worked to ensure that the proper accountability took place. Every day, our officers routinely encounter unprecedented type calls that they have to deal with. We try to do the best and right thing every single time. In this particular incident, that didn’t happen and I’m very sorry for that,” says Khatib.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office investigated the possibility that McClelland's conduct was criminal in nature. Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson alleges McClelland pushed an uncooperative man to the ground and struck him in the face up to four times.
McClelland will make his first court appearance on a charge of misdemeanor battery next month.