Convicted Vermilion cop quits force

VERMILION — A Vermilion police officer convicted of assault for manhandling a defenseless suspect during a problematic arrest resigned from the department on Friday.Aaron Bolton handed in his badge just days before his sentencing hearing, scheduled for Monday in Erie County Common Pleas Court.By resigning, Bolton avoided a pre-disciplinary hearing, which would have likely resulted in his termination."This ends a tumultuous year for personnel issues, and we look forward to moving on with the business of public safety free from the distractions these types of issues cause an agency and the community," Vermilion police Chief Chris Hartung said.Two months ago, in a local landmark case, a jury found Bolton guilty of misdemeanor assault.The conviction stems from a September 2015 incident, in which Bolton slammed a handcuffed man's head against a police cruiser's door.Jurors, however, acquitted Bolton of two other felonies: second-degree assault and fourth-degree aggravated assault. The latter charge was tacked on later in this case.Police body cam footage, recording the incident, showed Bolton roughing up the suspect. The surveillance footage, however, didn't fully capture Bolton punching this person, likely resulting in not guilty verdicts for his two other charges.Erie County prosecutor Kevin Baxter — who said this is the area's first such excessive force case involving a sworn law enforcement official he can remember since taking office in 1989 — seemed happy with the outcome of Bolton's court case."I think it was appropriate," Baxter said at the October hearing. "There is certainly room for some reasonable doubt as to whether or not the police officer was justified in using that kind of force."He continued: "But the assault was clear. What he did at the car door, which was caught more fully and completely by a body camera, there is no excuse for that. It was excessive and clearly unjustified."Bolton, who makes about $60,000 a year from Vermilion police, had been on paid administrative leave dating back to when a grand jury indicted him in April. It's expected he'll receive a $9,800 payout.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Aaron Bolton resigned from his post as a Vermilion police officer on Friday. In October, an Erie County jury convicted him of misdemeanor assault for manhandling a defenseless suspect during a problematic arrest. He's due back in Erie County Common Pleas Court on Monday for his sentencing hearing.