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Pennsylvania state trooper gets jail sentence for punching handcuffed suspect

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Posted at 11:15 AM, Jun 08, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-08 11:15:16-04

A Pennsylvania state trooper convicted of punching a handcuffed man during a drunken driving arrest has been sentenced to up to a year in jail.

John Sromovsky was captured on video punching 25-year-old Lorenzo Lopez in September 2016, while Lopez was handcuffed and seated in a patrol car.

Prosecutors say Lopez had been crying and Sromovsky threatened to give him "a reason to cry." They say Lopez was defenseless and didn't pose a threat.

Sromovsky was convicted of assault last month. He was sentenced Thursday to 2 1/2 to 12 months in jail.

Sromovsky's attorney tells Philly.com he will appeal. He will remain free pending a ruling on that appeal.

Lopez, who was living in the U.S. illegally, was convicted of drunken driving and turned over to immigration agents.