Former Inkster police officer William Melendez has been found guilty on two of the three charges against him.
In January, Melendez pulled over and arrested Floyd Dent, 57, of Detroit for cocaine possession and resisting arrest. Dashcam footage later revealed how Melendez beat Dent during the arrest.
After a 12-day trial, the jury came back with a verdict of guilty on “misconduct in office” (which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison), and guilty of “assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder” (which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison). The jury found Melendez not guilty of “assault by strangulation.”
Melendez was remanded to jail and will have his sentence hearing on Dec. 3, 2015.
In a statement, Prosecutor Kym Worthy said “public confidence in law enforcement is eroded ?when police officers abuse citizens. The jury’s verdict in this case is important because it shows that police brutality cannot and will not be tolerated.”
*We will have more on this story later today.
