The suspended Hartford cop accused of assaulting a prisoner then fabricating evidence said nothing in court on Tuesday morning as his attorney asked for a court order to preserve any evidence that could clear his client.
Rhashim Campbell and another officer are accused of assaulting prisoner Michael Stewart on Nov. 1 inside Hartford Police Headquarters and then trying to cover it up.
Stewart had reached through his cell bars to turn on a water spigot because his eyes hurt from being pepper-sprayed and the water flooded the area, investigators say.
After Campbell moved him to another cell, video showed Stewart apparently punching through the cell bar and hitting Campbell in the head.
Stewart later said he was trying to reach Campbell to get his pants back, but the video shows Campbell going back into Stewart's cell and punching him in the face.
A struggle ensued, during which Stewart evidently bit Campbell on the finger.
The incident came to light later when an internal affairs officer heard Campbell say he hoped the prisoner didn't have a communicable disease.
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Campbell said the prisoner had punched him in the face through his cell bars.
"I opened up the door and whooped his ass. … I tried to kill him," the police affidavit quotes Campbell as saying.
He is charged with fabricating physical evidence because, says the affidavit, "Campbell's admissions to fellow officers and the video surveillance show that contrary to his police report, his physical force was inconsistent with mere restraint."
Fabricating evidence is a felony charge. Campbell is free on a promise to appear and is due to return to court Feb. 2.
