A Wilmington police officer was indicted on assault charges after the Delaware Department of Justice claimed he slapped a restrained woman to the ground after she spat on him last year.

According to Wilmington police, Sgt. Caro Spearman, who has been with the force since 1998, was suspended at the time of the incident and remains so.

The event occurred on April 9, 2024, at Big Fish Grill and the Hyatt Hotel on Justison Street near Wilmington’s Riverfront, according to the Department of Justice.

The woman spat on three policemen while being arrested, according to the Department of Justice. Spearman grabbed the lady by the elbow and threw her to the ground after handcuffing her, according to authorities.

The woman then spat at Spearman, who, according to prosecutors, replied by hitting her in the face, “knocking her upper body and head to the ground.”

The woman was treated at a nearby hospital and released the same night.

In an April 24 statement announcing the indictment, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings described the evidence in this case as troubling.

“The overwhelming majority of police officers in this state are a credit to their name and their communities, but when a sworn officer breaks the law it is imperative to hold them accountable,” according to her statement. “I am deeply grateful to our prosecutors for this important work, and to the Wilmington Police Department for their timely and thorough cooperation with this investigation.”

Who is Caro Spearman, and what has he been accused with?

Spearman was indicted on April 14 for third-degree assault, offensive touching, and two counts of official misconduct.

In a statement, Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos described the charges as “concerning” and reflecting behaviour that “falls far short of the high expectations we set for our public servants.”