Dominican lawyer at center of hallmark case in the US

Officer Jenchesky Santiago was recently indicted on first and second degree assault charges after video footage showed him holding a gun to the head of William Cunningham in the upscale Maryland neighborhood.

According to a report in the Washington Post “ on May 10, 2013 Santiago, who was on duty, pulled up to a car that was stopped in front of a home in Bowie. He questioned the driver and a passenger about what they were doing there and told them that they were parked illegally, although they weren’t.”

The driver explained that he was dropping off the passenger, who was his cousin and lived at the house. The passenger, William Cunningham, got out of the car and tried to go inside his home, but Santiago ordered him to return to the vehicle.”

When Cunningham didn’t go back to the car, Santiago blocked him and pulled out his service weapon, he put the gun against Cunningham’s head and pushed him back toward the car. At one point, Santiago pointed the gun at Cunningham’s mouth.”

Both Cunningham and the driver were arrested and charged. Attorney Christian who represented Cunningham told the Washington Post that “Santiago acted like a gangster. I saw someone who was totally out of control. Someone almost lost their life.”

Christian also said that his client was scared to “within an inch of his life.” The Maryland attorney successfully got the courts to drop all charges against his client and worked relentlessly to get the State to press charges against the Police Officer.

Santiago was also charged with using a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence or felony.

Christian told TDN that “first the officer had the audacity to charge our client with a crime after he brutalized and threatened our client with his life hanging on thread, gun at his head. After we forced the dismissal of those against our innocent client, we had to work relentlessly to persuade the state to indict Santiago. May it always be that we point out wrong where we see it that justice be done.”

The officer has since been suspended without pay and will be arraigned on April 10, 2015.