No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds

A former Weymouth police officer who was caught on video camera beating a handcuffed suspect will not serve any jail time, federal authorities said.

Justin Chappell, 43, was sentenced to two years of supervised release, with the first six months to be spent under house arrest, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said on Tuesday, July 16. He must also complete 40 hours of community service each year of his supervised release.

Chappell pleaded guilty in May to a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law, the prosecutor said.

The assault happened on July 2, 2022, when Chappell and other officers were called to a Weymouth home because an intoxicated man was causing a disturbance. That man was later identified as Donald McAdam.

Bodycam video shows McAdam being uncooperative with officers. He refused to take his hands out of his pockets when ordered to, called the police cowards, used a racial slur, and spit on one of them, according to the prosecutor.

(Editor's note: The video contains foul language and violence. Viewer discretion is advised)

Video of former Weymouth Officer Justin Chappell assaulting a suspect during an arrest in 2022.

After McAdam was handcuffed, Chappell put him in the back of a patrol car, where McAdam attempted to resist again. That's when Chappell punched him in the head and face 13 times with a closed fist, the prosecutor said.

Chappell resigned from the Weymouth Police Department after he was notified he would be fired, reports said. He was later decertified by POST for using excessive force. That means he can never serve as a police officer in Massachusetts again.

According to a Weymouth police Facebook post , Chappell served in the US Army as a rifleman and served three tours in Afghanistan in 2006, 2007, and 2009 before joining the department.