Potsdam police officer charged with choking person while in police station

POTSDAM — A Potsdam Village Police Department patrolman has been charged with criminal obstruction of breathing after an incident that occurred while on duty April 1.

Sheriff’s detectives have charged Matthew A. Seymour, 45, with criminal obstruction of breathing (A misdemeanor) following a referral from the Potsdam Village Police Department through the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office.

North Country This Week is seeking details on Seymour’s employment status with the village police, but has not yet received a response.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, an investigation was conducted after the incident that developed probable cause to believe that Seymour applied pressure to the throat of a male individual, impeding his breathing.

In a press release, Sheriff’s Office officials say the individual was in custody at the Potsdam Police Department at the time.

Seymour was issued an appearance ticket to Potsdam Town Court for a later date.

An order of protection was issued for the victim.

In 2015, Seymour and another officer responded to a fatal stabbing at Swan Landing, during which Clarkson student Tian Ma fatally stabbed fellow student Yazhen Jiang to death.

Seymour, an 11-year veteran of the Potsdam Police Department at the time, who is also a firearms instructor and a certified emergency medical technician, ordered Ma several times to drop the knife. After refusing to do so and threatening both officers Seymour fatally shot Ma four times.

An investigation was conducted into the incident, after which Seymour was found to have acted in a justified manner.