NORTH SYRACUSE -- A local police officer was arrested Wednesday night after being accused of attacking a child at a pizza shop.
According to the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year-old John Baldini, a sergeant with the Cicero Police Department, was at Commisso’s Pizzeria on North Main Street in North Syracuse between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on October 11. Deputies say Baldini, who was off duty, entered the pizza shop and was reportedly struck in the head by a piece of dough thrown by a ten-year-old boy. Baldini is accused of angrily grabbing the child by the throat, putting him in a headlock, pushing him against a wall, dragging him on the floor, and carrying him by the sweatshirt into the kitchen where the child is said to have been dropped on the floor. Cicero Police Chief Joe Snell says Baldini's actions are disappointing.
"I hold all my officers to the highest standard," Snell said. "They need to be held to a higher standard than any other citizen because of the responsibility to the community and these are not the kind of actions or behavior we want."
Baldini, of South Bay Road in North Syracuse, is charged with second degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was issued an appearance ticket and will be arraigned on December 13 in North Syracuse Village Court.
Coincidentally, Baldini's arrest comes just a few hours after the Cicero Town Board voted not to abolish the town police department.
