Const. Haoyin Zheng is seen walking out of the Edmonton courthouse in June. (Janice Johnston/CBC News)

An Edmonton police officer was given a conditional discharge and 12 months' probation Thursday for a Dec. 2008 assault on a handcuffed man in the back of a police car.

"I'm satisfied a discharge would be appropriate and not contrary to the public interest," Judge John Henderson said during sentencing of Const. Haoyin Zheng in Edmonton provincial court.

The judge said the harm to the victim was minimal and that he considered the assault to be on the lower end of the scale.

Zheng was also ordered to attend any counselling his probation supervisor may recommend.

Zheng showed no reaction to the sentence and declined comment afterwards. After sentencing, three senior police officers stepped up to shake his hand.

Firearms ban would end officer's career

In his sentencing arguments last week, Crown prosecutor Matthew Dalidowicz asked that Zheng be given a 18-month conditional sentence and face a firearms prohibition.

The judge rejected the firearms ban, arguing it would end Zheng's career.

Zheng's lawyer, Kirk MacDonald, argued last week his client should receive a conditional or absolute discharge.

MacDonald admitted Zheng was “perhaps a bit rough.” But he called the incident a brief, unpremeditated loss of control, that should not end the constable’s policing career.

MacDonald entered more than a dozen reference letters into the court record.

Zheng was convicted of assault on Jan. 28 after the judge determined the victim, Jean-Marc Viau, was jostled enough to rock the police cruiser from side-to-side.

Zheng was found not guilty of assault with a weapon and a second assault charge in the same incident.

Zheng faces two unrelated assault charges in an arrest on June 6.