Md. officer's conviction out in student beating


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COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — An officer's conviction has been overturned in the beating of a University of Maryland student during a rowdy March 2010 basketball celebration.

Prince George's County police officer James Harrison was found guilty of second-degree assault in the beating of John McKenna during the celebration that followed the Terrapins' win over Duke.

Harrison was given a one-year suspended sentence in 2012 and served 30 days of home confinement. Earlier this month, a judge overturned the conviction, giving Harrison probation before judgment.

State's attorney's office spokesman John Erzen says prosecutors were disappointed that the judge set aside the jury's verdict.

A message left Wednesday for Harrison's attorney was not immediately returned.

A video that surfaced showed officers in riot gear beating McKenna. Charges were later dropped against him and many of the 28 arrested that night.

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