Euclid Police Officer Michael Amiott given 90-day suspended sentence on charges stemming from 2017 arrest

William Tilton, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
·2 min read
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Mar. 31—Euclid Police Officer Michael Amiott has been given a 90-day suspended sentence, one year of probation and fined in connection with the arrest of Richard Hubbard in August 2017.

In August 2019, Amiott was criminally charged and in July 2022 found guilty in Euclid Municipal Court of misdemeanor charges stemming from Hubbard's arrest.

Amiott was captured on video kicking and punching the Black motorist on Aug. 12, 2017 — an incident that began with a traffic stop for a suspended driver's license. The incident was recorded by a witness and posted to social media, and now that video has been viewed millions of times on Facebook.

The Euclid Police Department later released dashcam footage of the traffic stop that shows Amiott wrestling the driver to the ground within seconds of ordering him to "face away" after Hubbard steps out of the car.

Amiott's employment was terminated by the city later in 2017, but in October 2018, an independent arbitrator ruled Amiott be reinstated to the police department.

"Amiott's termination, reinstatement, trial and eventual sentence were all the result of lawful processes set forth in our legal system," the Euclid Police Department stated in a news release. "The Euclid Police Department respects those processes, as well as their results.

"Amiott is currently assigned to the Euclid Police Department's Warrant Unit. His future assignment within the department has yet to be determined."

According to the release, the Euclid Police Department considers the matter closed.

David Trend, president of the Euclid Fraternal Order of Police Chapter 18, also issued a response.

"While we disagree with the decision of the jury and the judge's sentence, we respect the judicial process," the statement read. "The members of Euclid F.O.P. Lodge #18 will continue to support Officer Amiott in any way possible. We encourage Ptl. Amiott to use all of the judicial processes available to him to right this injustice."

Hubbard was charged with resisting arrest, driving without a license and a traffic signal violation. Charges against him and his girlfriend Yolimar Tirado were later dismissed in Euclid Municipal Court.

The pair filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2018 against Amiott, the city of Euclid and police officers Matt Gilmer and Kirk Pavkov. That case was settled in April 2021 for $450,000.

Euclid settled an unrelated lawsuit in 2019 over another incident involving Amiott.