On August 23, 2020, Sergeant Samuel Geddes responded to a domestic dispute on Blandina Street. During the incident, Geddes engaged in a verbal altercation with a resident, made inappropriate comments, and used pepper spray towards the resident and a teenager on a second-floor balcony. The City of Utica sought to terminate Geddes for conduct unbecoming an officer and excessive force. An arbitrator found him guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer but not guilty of excessive force. Geddes was suspended for a total of 35 days and ordered to complete anger management and de-escalation training before returning to duty.
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