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Judi Lynn

(160,601 posts) Fri Nov 6, 2015, 05:13 AM Nov 2015

Black motorist beaten by Michigan ex-policeman says feared for his life

Source: Reuters

Black motorist beaten by Michigan ex-policeman says feared for his life
Reuters
By Serena Maria Daniels
10 hours ago

DETROIT (Reuters) - A black motorist shown in a videotape being beaten by a former suburban Detroit policeman in January during a traffic stop said on Thursday that he thought Officer William Melendez was trying to kill him.

During his hour-long testimony on the second day of Melendez's criminal trial, Floyd Dent, 58, struggled to answer questions because he said his injuries have made it difficult for him to process information.

Melendez, 47, has pleaded not guilty to charges of misconduct in office, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, and strangulation during the Jan. 28 incident in Inkster, Michigan.

"I begged him to stop. I can't breath. He was trying to kill me," Dent told jurors from the witness stand. "He choked me so hard I couldn't catch my breath."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/black-motorist-beaten-michigan-ex-policeman-says-feared-224959644.html

10 replies

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Highlight:

Black motorist beaten by Michigan ex-policeman says feared for his life (Original Post) Judi Lynn Nov 2015 OP

Ridiculous that Melendez was the only one charged. Chakab Nov 2015 #1

+1 daleanime Nov 2015 #2

Can't we take that blue line JackInGreen Nov 2015 #3

you know the worst part of all of this? Is that it is happening so often, that we are not even secondwind Nov 2015 #4

No, the worst part isn't just that people aren't surprised by this kind of behavior from the police Chakab Nov 2015 #7

Look at all those "good cops" yucking it up frylock Nov 2015 #6

+2 Enthusiast Nov 2015 #9

awful Liberal_in_LA Nov 2015 #10

"why are you making me beat you!!!" Javaman Nov 2015 #5

Glad to hear that Mr. Dent didn't bleed on the cop's uniform. christx30 Nov 2015 #8

Chakab

(1,727 posts)

1. Ridiculous that Melendez was the only one charged.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Nov 6, 2015, 05:34 AM

Nov 2015

Here's a video from the police station that shows the other officers who were present reenacting the Mr. Dent's beating and laughing about it.

None of these thugs have any business wearing a badge on the street.

daleanime

(17,796 posts)

2. +1

Reply to Chakab (Reply #1)

Fri Nov 6, 2015, 06:53 AM

Nov 2015

JackInGreen

(2,975 posts)

3. Can't we take that blue line

Reply to Chakab (Reply #1)

Fri Nov 6, 2015, 07:52 AM

Nov 2015

And string em up with it?

secondwind

(16,903 posts)

4. you know the worst part of all of this? Is that it is happening so often, that we are not even

Reply to Chakab (Reply #1)

Fri Nov 6, 2015, 08:27 AM

Nov 2015

surprised when we read about this...

We are devolving into a dangerous society of people, the once great U.S of A.

Chakab

(1,727 posts)

7. No, the worst part isn't just that people aren't surprised by this kind of behavior from the police

Reply to secondwind (Reply #4)

Fri Nov 6, 2015, 12:37 PM

Nov 2015

but rather that there are a lot of people that will reflexively defend this type of brutality being perpetrated against fellow citizens. As long as it's happening to people that they wouldn't want living next door to them, there's no problem.

Melendez has beaten serious criminal charges before. Some people will refuse to convict a police officer when they're sitting on a jury no matter how damning the evidence is.