Gwinnett PD fires second officer in alleged traffic stop assault

A second Gwinnett County police officer has been fired for allegedly assaulting an unnamed individual during a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon, prompting the launch of a second criminal investigation in the case.
 
Sgt. Michael Bongiovanni was terminated from the Gwinnett County Police Department Thursday evening, according to a media release, after police discovered an incriminating video online that reportedly showed the events of the Lawrenceville-area stop..
 
The video is the second utilized by authorities in their investigation of the case, and shows the traffic stop at the intersection of Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road and Sugarloaf Parkway from a different angle than the first.
 
"The video was filmed by a witness and shows the man getting out of the car with both hands up," Cpl. Deon Washington explained in the release. "As he stands with his hands up, Michael Bongiovanni strikes the man in the face."
 
Bongiovanni was added to the police force in September 1998, graduating from the police academy in February of the next year.
 
Master Officer Robert McDonald, employed by the department since August 2013, was fired in the same case earlier Thursday, after video evidence revealed him allegedly kicking the then-handcuffed individual in the head.
 
Washington described the events uncovered in the preliminary investigation as "shocking," saying the department was fortunate to find the second video.
 
"We were able to move swiftly to terminate a supervisor who lied and stepped outside of his training and state law," he continued.
 
Washington added in the release that the reputation of Gwinnett County police will likely suffer as a result of the alleged crimes, but that the department's swift reaction to the recorded allegations shows a zero-tolerance policy to officers operating outside the law.
 
"We acknowledge that the actions of these two officers have implications that will be felt for some time," Washington said. "However, we also believe that our decisive action in terminating both officers speaks volumes about what is expected of each officer that wears a Gwinnett County Police badge."