Ex-Cop Guilty On 2 Counts in Excessive Force Trial

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This story has been updated.

The white suburban police officer accused of excessive force in the highly publicized beating of a black suspect during a traffic stop last January was found guilty of two charges, but acquitted on a third in Wayne County Circuit Court Thursday.

William Melendez, 47, was convicted of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and misconduct in office, but the jury of eight women and four men, including seven who are black, found him not guilty on an assault by strangulation charge.

Judge Vonda Evans revoked bond and ordered Melendez held in the Wayne County Jail. His sentencing is set for Dec. 3.

“It is time for Mr. Melendez to accept responsibility,” she said.

Melendez’s attorney, Jim Thomas, told reporters he plans to appeal the verdict.

Before the verdict was read, Evans said there were “no winners” in the trial that dealt with issues she said are sensitive both in Detroit and across the country

Addressing a packed courtroom before the verdict was read, Evans praised jurors for their service in a case that dealt with issues that are sensitive “in the United States and in this community.”

The video showing the beating of Floyd Dent, 58, was released to WDIV-TV by his attorneys during a time of simmering distrust between police department and communities of color, and at a time when police tactics came under greater scrutiny nationally.

Dent, who was shown on video as Melendez punched him in the head 16 times during the traffic stop, is expected to appear at a news conference Friday, The Detroit News said.

Oralandar Brand-Williams, who covered the trial for The Detroit News, said in a Tweet that Dent’s attorneys are “elated” over the verdict. Dent was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read, reportedly because he was afraid.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office dropped a drug possession charge against Dent, who was hospitalized for three days after the beating, earlier this year. Dent settled his lawsuit against the city of Inkster for $1.4 million.

Earlier Thursday, the jury sent a notice to the judge saying they had been unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the assault by strangulation charge, the Detroit Free Press said.

More on this Topic

• ‘Robocop,’ Accused of Severely Beating Black Man in Traffic Stop, Has Notorious History
• ‘Robocop,’ Fired Over Brutal Arrest Video, Moonlights for Nearby Department
• Prosecutor Announces Decision on ‘Robocop’: Watch
• Robocop’s Boss Steps Down as Heat Continues in Police Brutality Probe
• Man Pummeled in ‘Robocop’ Arrest Settles for $1.4M
• Inkster Imposes Tax to Pay Police Brutality Settlement
• Inkster Settles Another Lawsuit Against ‘Robocop’

» Screenshot via WXYZ-TV