An indictment issued Monday against Trooper Dempsey R. Walters, 29, includes the first use by prosecutors of a new felony deprivation of civil rights law that was passed in Delaware last year.
On Aug. 21, a 15-year-old boy and three friends were walking past Walters’ residence when they decided to play a prank commonly called “ding-dong ditch,” in which a person walks up to a residence, rings the doorbell or hits the door, and runs away. The boy ran up to Walters’ house, covered his face, and kicked the door before running off, an incident captured on a home security camera.
Walters again used DELJIS to look up the 17-year-old Taft Avenue resident he had encountered on Aug. 17. When the officers arrived at the boy’s house, he and a friend came to the front door. Walters grabbed the boy from the doorway and forced him to the ground, injuring him, police said. The boy was handcuffed and detained, but never formally arrested during the encounter, which was captured on Newport police body cameras and Walters body camera.
As the 15-year-old was put in a police vehicle, Walters confirmed with another trooper that the boy was the juvenile who had kicked his door. Walters then turned off his body-worn camera and walked to the police vehicle.