Belleville officer accused in complaint resigns

BELLEVILLE -- A veteran Belleville police officer has resigned after the police chief said he intended to fire him over an excessive force complaint.

Belleville police Captain Don Sax said Friday that Officer Jeffrey Vernatti resigned via email.

The resignation came Thursday, the same day Police Chief Bill Clay said he intended to fire Vernatti and to discipline four other officers involved in the complaint.

A resident alleged that police used excessive force while arresting him last month. Clay hasn't released details about the allegations but said the resident's complaint was reviewed and verified by the department's investigators.

Vernatti had been with the Belleville police since 1999. No published telephone listing for Jeffrey Vernatti in Illinois could be found.