Dover Police Department Issues Statement on Indictment of Officer 5-4-2015
On May 4, 2015, Dover Police Officer Cpl. Thomas Webster was arrested after a grand jury indictment was handed down charging him with Assault 2nd Degree, which is a felony. The indictment stemmed from an incident that occurred on August 24, 2013, where Webster, who was assigned to the patrol division, responded to the Hess gas station (now renamed Speedway Service Station) for a fight in progress where one of the people involved was possibly armed with a gun. When Webster arrived at the complaint, he contacted a subject who matched the description of one of the people involved in the fight at the gas station, and attempted to take him into custody. Webster, along with another officer, had the subject at gun point, giving him verbal commands to get on the ground to which the subject eventually complied. As the subject was in the process of getting on the ground he was kicked in the head once by Webster rendering him unconscious. After this occurred the subject was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody. This incident was captured on video by a Dover Police Department in car camera system. The subject was transported to the hospital to receive medical treatment for the injuries he suffered while being arrested and was found to have a broken jaw.
In November 2013, the Dover Police Department placed Webster on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation and review of the case by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office. In March of 2014, the Delaware Attorney General’s Office took the case before a grand jury who did not return an indictment for Webster. At that time the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware reviewed the case and found that there was not a civil rights violation. After both agencies conducted their separate investigations, the Dover Police Department completed the internal investigation on Webster finding that his actions regarding this incident were outside of Dover Police Department policy and acted accordingly.
In June 2014, Webster returned to full duty with the Dover Police Department and was reassigned to the patrol division. On May 4, 2015, the Dover Police Department learned that the Delaware Attorney General’s office indicted Cpl. Webster on the charge of Assault 2nd degree on the same day. Upon being notified of the indictment the Dover Police Department immediately placed Webster on leave without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case.
On May 4, 2015, Webster turned himself in and was presented to Commissioner Andrea Freud of the Kent County Superior Court where he was released on $5,000.00 unsecured bond.
