Moorhead Officer Will Not Be Disciplined For Striking Handcuffed Woman

Officer Matthew Lambert has been returned to active duty. 

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KFGO) – Disciplinary action will not be taken against a Moorhead, Minn. police officer who had been accused of assaulting a handcuffed woman.

Officer Matthew Lambert has been returned to active duty.  Lambert was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

“There is not discipline” Moorhead Police Chief Shannon Monroe said.  “There was a complaint that was done internally here. That is now over with and he has returned to work as of July 3rd.”

Monroe tells KFGO News that the Minnesota Data Practices Act prevents the conclusion of the internal matter from being released. “The law guides us on how we have to handle this” Monroe said. “In Minnesota, there’s an officer’s bill of rights, there’s unions and there’s a very defined process that you have to go through from start to finish.”

Surveillance video shows Lambert strike Jennifer Thomas in the head after she spit at him. She was being treated in the Sanford Medical Center Emergency Dept. in Fargo. Thomas was arrested Sept. 9, 2018 for an incident involving a gun at the Moorhead Buffalo Wild Wings. Lambert was placed on leave Sept. 14.

The Cass County States Attorney’s Office filed felony assault charges against Lambert. The charges were later dismissed after an expert witness said he believed that Lambert was following his training.