Federal charges have been dropped against Steven Vigneault, a Springfield, Massachusetts, police officer accused of kicking a juvenile during a 2016 arrest.
Vigneault was indicted after another officer testified that Vigneault admitted to kicking in the face a teenager suspected of stealing his cruiser.
But according to new court documents, the juvenile recently testified it was in fact another officer — Gregg Bigda — who kicked him. So the government is dropping its case against Vigneault.
"My client feels very vindicated," said Vigneault's lawyer, Shawn Allyn. "But one of the questions we have is: How does he regain his reputation back? Does he go to the government to do that? Does he go to the city of Springfield to do that? My client was just presumed guilty from the get-go."
Vigneault quit the police department in 2016 — under pressure, he claims.
Allyn said Vigneault wants his job back as well as lost wages, as he's demanding in a pending civil lawsuit.
Vigneault is studying psychology at a local college, according to Allyn.
Springfield's city solicitor Ed Pikula said he plans to read the dismissal before deciding how to proceed.
A lawyer for Gregg Bigda, who's already facing criminal charges of his own, could not be reached.