Green Bay Police Officer Matthew Knutson appears in court May 17, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Green Bay police officer was fined $500 Monday after being convicted of attempted misconduct in public office, while another charge for striking a fleeing suspect with his squad car was dismissed.
Matthew Knutson, 41, was originally charged with negligent operation of a vehicle and misconduct in office. The charges stemmed from an internal police department investigation into a November 2021 incident. Police said they didn’t know the suspect was hit with the vehicle until October 2022 — and Knutson did not include it in his initial report. Comparing body cam and dash cam video to Knutson’s official reports, police said their investigation uncovered problems with how Knutson’s patrol vehicle hit the suspect during a foot chase, forcing the suspect to the ground.
Knutson pleaded no contest to the attempted misconduct in office. While dismissed, Judge Donald Zuidmulder was able to consider the negligent operation of a vehicle charge.
Knutson declined to address the court before the sentence was issued.
The judge adopted the joint recommendation for the fine, but said he hoped Knutson appreciated the “embarrassment and shame” the incident has caused — despite his years of service to the community.
“You are also symbolic of this: No one is above the law. And when you’re entrusted with enforcing the law, or you’re an attorney, or you’re a judge, all of us must answer for our conduct. And if our conduct fails our community, and violates the law of this state, then we have to be held accountable. And that’s exactly what has happened here today,” the judge said.
Judge Zuidmulder made a reference to the case costing Knutson his career, but Knutson remains suspended as an internal department investigation continues, a Green Bay police spokesperson said Monday. The department says it expects to issue the findings of its investigation “shortly.”
Chief Chris Davis released this statement:
As police officers, we are accountable for our actions. That is how it should be. The police service is based on trust, and we must always be worthy of that trust. We have a tremendous responsibility to keep the community safe, and to do so in a way that follows the law and our policies, and that respects people’s Constitutional and human rights. The vast majority of police professionals live up to this responsibility every day.
We appreciate the community’s understanding and patience as we work through the process of completing a thorough and fair investigation into this incident. We would like to thank the community for their continued support and for holding us to a high standard.
Monday’s plea deal comes just ahead of a trial, which had been scheduled to start Wednesday.
The charges filed against the suspect for the 2021 incident — resisting arrest and operating with a revoked license — were eventually dismissed as a part of a plea bargain which resulted in convictions in other cases, according to District Attorney David Lasee.
Knutson was previously suspended for 30 days in 2018 following an investigation into bullying and harassment within the police department.
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