A Beaumont Police Officer was arraigned on Thursday Apr. 26 on criminal charges stemming from an incident in which he is accused of blinding a 32-year-old woman during a potential DUI traffic stop.
Beaumont police officer accused of blinding a woman with a high-powered pepper spray device. (Photo courtesy of Flickr)
Officer Enoch Clark was indicted On Apr. 19 by a Riverside County criminal grand jury on four counts: assault under the color of authority, assault with a less lethal weapon, use of force causing serious bodily injury and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, Riverside District Attorney spokesperson John Hall said in a written statement.
On Feb. 21 of this year, Clark and the woman got into a scuffle as he was trying to handcuff the suspected female drunk driver. In an attempt to subdue her, he shot her in the face at close range with a high-powered pepper spray device, known as a JPX.
Although the JPX isn’t considered lethal, the fact that Clark misused the powerful device –the pepper spray is propelled at 400 mph – caused severe injuries to the woman’s eyes.
An investigation showed that the minimum distance the device should be used is about five feet with the optimum distance being between six and 16 feet. When Clark sprayed the woman, they were a mere 10 inches apart.
Hall wrote that after reviewing the evidence, the DA’s Office brought the case before the criminal grand jury, made up of 19 members of the community, to allow members of the public to determine whether or not a crime had occurred.
The grand jury came to the conclusion that Clark’s actions were indeed criminal and returned its indictment.
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To bad most of that information is false! There was no intention to blind her. When a man of 175lbs is wrestling a female over 200lbs trying to restrain her is pretty hard. If she would have just obeyed the police officers instructions maybe she could see, or if it wasn’t for her family calling the cops on her she could see! She isn’t a good person. Who has a child then has her parents raise her child? Ding ding… The so called victim!!!!!
IMHO - The officer got out of bed to a normal day, never anticipating what was to happen. It was the women that began the snowball rolling, be it drunk or other health issues. The officer being of sound mind has the most control over this situation and failed to make the right decisions on how to handle her.
My heart goes out to this mother and her family.
I realize I don’t have all the facts, but how did the Grand Jury. Issue an indictment over this incident?. I hope the officer is acquitted promptly. God bless him and I thank him for his service.
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