A former Greenfield police officer was fined $1,500 Wednesday and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service for violently throwing a woman into a jail holding cell in July.
Thomas Roszak, 30, who was suspended following the incident, resigned from the department Nov. 1. He was initially charged with felony misconduct in office but pleaded no contest Wednesday to misdemeanor battery as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Glenn Yamahiro also imposed, but suspended, a 30-day jail sentence for Roszak, meaning he could be forced to serve that aspect of the sentence if he fails to meet the other conditions within six months.
In contrast to Roszak's attorney and the prosecutor's characterization of the offense as a shove, Yamahiro, who watched video of the incident, said it was more like the victim was thrown "like a sack of potatoes," according to her attorney.
Amanda Luke, 30, of Oak Creek had been arrested on charges of driving while revoked, and with a prohibited blood alcohol concentration and fleeing an officer.
According to the complaint against Roszak, he had removed Luke from a holding cell for booking, but when he ordered her to return to the cell she placed her hands on his chest and addressed him with a vulgarity.
Roszak then lifted her by the torso, carried her across a hallway and flung her into the cell, where she bounced off a steel stool fixed to the floor before landing on the floor, according to the complaint.
The officer then called her an expletive and closed the door to the cell without checking her condition.
The woman suffered visible bruises across her body, and surveillance cameras captured audio and video of the incident, the complaint says.
Luke has filed a notice of injury with the City of Greenfield, usually a precursor to a lawsuit.
Her attorney, Jonathan Safran, told Yamahiro on Wednesday that his client, who was not present, took some responsibility and was sorry for her actions that night, but still felt Roszak had acted unprofessionally.
The criminal case against Luke is scheduled for a plea hearing in January.