Fort Worth officer indicted, accused of attacking suspect during arrest

A Fort Worth officer accused of punching a suspect during an arrest will stand trial.

A grand jury has indicted officer Jon Romer, Jr. for allegedly hitting and choking Henry Newson in 2016 during an arrest, then trying to cover it up when speaking with investigators.

Romer has been charged with official oppression, making a false report to a police officer and aggravated perjury. It is not clear what sparked the confrontation or why Newson was being arrested.

According to the indictment, Romer later falsely told investigators that the use of force had been approved by the Fort Worth Police Department.

It's not the first time Romer has made the news. He was involved in the 2011 shooting death of a handicapped man, Charal 'Ra Ra' Thomas, during a traffic stop in southeast Fort Worth.

Thomas had his children in the backseat of the car. When Romer pulled the man over and approached the vehicle window, Thomas refused to get out of the SUV and then pinned the officers arm in the window and dragged Romer. That’s when Romer fired multiple times, killing Thomas. No wrongdoing was found in that case.

Romer posted bail on Thursday and was released from the Tarrant County jail. He has been placed on restricted duty with Fort Worth police.