Officer won’t be disciplined for striking handcuffed woman

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — A Moorhead police officer will not face disciplinary action after being accused of injuring a handcuffed woman in a hospital last year.

Police officials say Officer Matthew Lambert returned to duty this month. Lambert was charged with aggravated assault after striking Jennifer Thomas while she was handcuffed on a hospital bed at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo last September. Thomas suffered a fractured nasal bone and a bruise to her right eye.

Cass County prosecutors dropped the charge last month after their own expert determined Lambert’s actions against Thomas were “objectively reasonable.”

Lt. Deric Swenson said Tuesday the police department had finished its internal investigation and concluded Lambert should not be disciplined.

Thomas had been arrested at a Moorhead restaurant after police responded to a report of a woman who appeared to have a gun making suicidal comments.

Click here to follow us on Facebook.

Click here to FOLLOW @SouthernMNnews on Twitter.