PEMBROKE, MASSACHUSETTS: A 72-year-old man was assaulted by an off-duty cop for accidentally hitting his paddleboard with his car. On July 24, Scott Saunders, an 18-year veteran in the Hull Police Department, assaulted Harry Horsley.
Horsley reportedly said that the altercation, which another neighbor of theirs was able to record on video, left him bloodied and bruised. Horsley can be seen on the ground with the police sergeant pinning him down in the video.
Who is Scott Saunders?
Horsley said that the altercation happened when he was driving his car down a narrow road. He reportedly said that Saunders hit his car with the paddleboard and that he asked, "Why did you hit my car? That's all I said." In the video, Saunders was then seen pinning down Horsley and sitting on top of him as he punched him, per the Daily Mail. The video showed Horsley strugggling and trying to get the cop off of him.
Horsley said, "He bull-rushed me down to the ground. Landed on top of me, I’m on my back. He pounded away, I’m like this trying to protect myself from getting hit worse. Here I am, 72 years old. I shouldn’t be taking a punch from anybody, let alone a Police Sergeant."
Scott Saunders charged
Following the assault, Saunders has been charged with assault and battery. Horsley went to a hospital and according to a police report, he was hurt on the left side of his face. He sustained a bloody nose and swollen and bruised eyelids among other injuries.
Horsley said, "He should have known that everything he has done, was wrong. You don’t assault somebody that’s a senior. You just don’t do it, its unheard of."
Saunders has been placed on paid administrative leave since, and his badge and service weapon have been seized. The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission has been notified of the Hull Police Department's internal affairs investigation.
