Officer Won’t be Disciplined for Striking Handcuffed Woman

MOORHEAD (AP) -- A Moorhead police officer will not face disciplinary action after being accused of injuring a handcuffed woman in a hospital last year.

Police officials say Officer Matthew Lambert returned to duty this month. Lambert was charged with aggravated assault after striking Jennifer Thomas while she was handcuffed on a hospital bed at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo last September. Thomas suffered a fractured nasal bone and a bruise to her right eye.

Cass County prosecutors dropped the charge last month after their own expert determined Lambert's actions against Thomas were ``objectively reasonable.''

Lt. Deric Swenson said Tuesday the police department had finished its internal investigation and concluded Lambert should not be disciplined.

Thomas had been arrested at a Moorhead restaurant after police responded to a report of a woman who appeared to have a gun making suicidal comments.