A Kansas City, Missouri, police sergeant accused of kneeling on a Black 15-year-old who complained he couldn't breathe has pleaded not guilty to a felony assault charge.
Sgt. Matthew Neal entered the plea to third-degree assault during a brief arraignment hearing Tuesday. Prosecutors allege that the teen and a man were stopped last November by an officer who thought a robbery might occur. They say the boy was handcuffed and on the ground when Neal arrived and put his knee on the teen's head during the arrest, breaking some of his teeth and causing bruising. A grand jury indicted Neal in August.
