A former Pennsylvania police officer has pleaded not guilty to charges he deprived a suspect's civil rights by slugging the man in the face and filing a false police report to justify his actions.
But the defense attorney for former Redstone Township Officer Norman Howard declined to comment on the charges after his arraignment before a federal magistrate in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
The 42-year-old was still working as a sergeant for the West Brownsville Borough police when he was indicted April 15, but his attorney says Howard is no longer working for any police departments.
Howard resigned from Redstone Township after he was charged last fall in an apparent domestic dispute that was unrelated to the federal charges. A judge dismissed the charges stemming from the domestic dispute.
