Jury Finds Former Inkster Police Officer Guilty of Using Excessive Force
Jury finds William Melendez guilty of using excessive force when he beat a black motorist during a traffic stop.
A jury has found a former Inkster police officer guilty of using excessive force against a black motorist during a traffic stop.
In January then-City of Inkster policeman William Melendez stopped 58-year-old Floyd Dent, who is African American, pulled him from his car, pinned him to the ground and hit him 16 times in the head.
After dashboard video of the incident became public Melendez was fired and Dent reached a more than $1 million settlement with the city.
Now a jury has found Melendez guilty of using excessive force and misconduct.
Prosecutors argued it was a case of police brutality.
Defense attorneys countered that Dent resisted during the traffic stop and Melendez use of force was reasonable.
The excessive force charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
