Area 'RoboCop' found guilty in beating of unarmed black man

Ariel Lynch

02:33 | Saturday, Nov 21, 2015

He was sacked earlier this year from the suburban Inkster police force after a video showed him beating Floyd Dent halfway to death after a routine traffic stop, then trying to plant drugs in his auto (presumably, to substantiate the abuse). Police stopped Dent, 58, in the Detroit suburb of Inkster for disregarding a stop sign, and dashcam video from a police vehicle shows Melendez punching him 16 times in the head.

But it wasn't until after WDIV-TV aired the footage in March that Melendez was sacked and two of his colleagues were suspended.

Inkster later agreed to pay $1.4 million to Dent, who suffered broken ribs, blood on his brain and other injuries.

Melendez is charged with assault, misconduct in office and strangulation.

During Thursday deliberations, they indicated to Judge Vonda Evans that they were struggling to come to a unanimous decision on one of the counts, an assault by strangulation charge.

Melendez declined to testify in his own defense.

Thomas told jurors that a urine test taken at the hospital suggested Dent had been using cocaine before the traffic stop.

Closing arguments in the case against William Melendez were heard Wednesday.

He also pointed out testimony from Aaron Westrick, an expert in the use of force called by the defense, who said Melendez's actions were "reasonable".

Dent, a Detroit native and veteran Ford employee, continued to drive at roughly the same speed to a well-lit area and pulled his Cadillac over near an old police station. He has steadfastly denied being under the influence when he was arrested and has previously contended that police planted the evidence at the scene. They say Dent was not drunk or on drugs, and that he didn't resist or try to get away.

"I think justice was served", Rohl told the Guardian outside the courtroom.

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