Anchorage police officer charged with misdemeanor assault

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – State prosecutors have charged a 32-year-old Anchorage police officer with two counts of misdemeanor assault in the arrest of a man for bicycle violations.

Anchorage police say Officer Cornelius Aaron Pettus is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Online court documents do not list his attorney and attempts to reach him Friday were not immediately successful.

Police say Pettus just after 10:30 p.m. Sept. 30 and stopped a man for bicycle violations. The man was uncooperative and left.

Pettus contacted the man again at the man’s home to issue citations. Police say the officer “used forced to gain compliance” and arrested the man.

A supervisor reviewed the use of force and police launched an investigation.

The Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions afterward decided to prosecute Pettus.