Trooper suspended for handling of teens at bank last month

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – A Kentucky state trooper involved in an excessive-force incident in June has been suspended for five days without pay and directed to undergo additional training.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Trooper Jackson Gabriel was disciplined for his role in the June 9 incident with two teens over what Chase Bank personnel thought might be a suspicious savings bond.

Gabriel responded with Lexington Police, and according to the teens, Preston Slone and Elena Perez, used excessive force in dealing with Slone, the newspaper reported,

Lexington Police released body camera footage from the incident in defense of its officers. Atbthe time, the department apologized to the teens for “any fear, anxiety, and injuries” the incident might have caused.

The footage shows the trooper and officers man-handling both teens with Gabriel pulling Perez from the car by her hair. Lexington officers helped restrain her, the video shows, and Gabriel is shown briefly putting his knee on Slone’s neck as he is forced to the ground.

KSP informed the teen’s attorney the suspension was handed down because Gabriel’s use of force was “inappropriate for the situation” and violated KSP’s “courtesy protocols and appropriate conduct standards,” the attorney told the newspaper.

The attorney, Scott White, said the teens declined a request to be interviewed by the KSP, noting, “the body cam pretty much spoke for itself,” according to the newspaper.

Gabriel, who has been a trooper since 2011, has faced KSP discipline previously.

In December, Gabriel was recommended for written reprimand for calling someone in custody a “f*****g idiot,” according to Gabriel’s personnel file, which was provided to White through a Freedom of Information Act request, according to the Herald-Leader.

That incident happened last August.

That incident also was caught on video after Gabriel responded to back up another trooper, the newspaper reported.