Howard County Police Officer Suspended Following Arrest in Baltimore

A Howard County police officer who was arrested early Sunday in Baltimore in an assault on another officer has been suspended, Howard County Police Chief William J. McMahon said in a statement.

The officer has been identified as Casey Lechter, 23, a county police officer since August 2010, McMahon said.

He's been charged with assault on police, failure to obey a lawful order and resisting arrest, according to the statement.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred about 2 a.m. Sunday outside Coburn's Tavern in the 2900 block of O'Donnell Street in Baltimore, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore police say they arrested Lechter while trying to break up a crowd outside of the bar, The Sun reported.

As police were attempting to arrest another man, Lechter allegedly punched a female officer in the head and pushed her, the report said. A bystander then grabbed Lechter and held him down until more police arrived, The Sun reported.

No other Howard County police officers were involved in the incident, McMahon said.

"The actions described in these charges, if accurate, do not meet the expectations set for members of the Howard County Police Department," McMahon said. "As chief of police, I have been briefed and ordered an internal investigation immediately."

Lechter's suspension means his police powers will be revoked while the case is under investigation, and he is not to have any contact with the public, McMahon said.

Lechter has been suspended with pay, according to department spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn.

Prior to joining the Howard County Police Department, Lechter was a lance corporal who spent seven months in Afghanistan as a gunner with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, according to the police department website.