Crime & Safety
UPDATED: Prosecutor Announces Decision on 'Robocop': Watch
"We cannot tolerate those who abuse their authority ... and prey on citizens," Prosecutor Kym Worthy says.
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This story has been updated with more details.
Former Inkster cop William “Robocop” Melendez faces felony charges, and drug charges will be dropped against a suspect he’s shown kicking and punching in video that sparked national outrage, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Monday.
Worthy said her announcement of the charges against Melendez comes at a time when police brutality “seems out of control” to many people, both regionally and nationally. The controversial police dash-cam video shows Melendez kicking and punching autoworker Floyd Dent, 57, in a Jan 28 traffic stop.
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Police brutality erodes public trust in law enforcement, eradicates confidence that has been built in communities where good work has been done by police to establish relationships, and undermines the great work and conduct of most officers, she said.
“We cannot tolerate those who abuse their authority ... and prey on citizens,” Worthy said. “We cannot turn our heads when law enforcement becomes the lawbreaker.”
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Related:
- ‘Robocop,’ Accused of Severely Beating Black Man in Traffic Stop, Has Notorious History
- ‘Robocop,’ Fired Over Brutal Arrest Video, Moonlights for Nearby Department
- Watch: Video Shows Police Kicking, Punching Handcuffed Suspect
- Alleged Carjacker Whose Arrest Went Viral Sues for $1 Million
- Prosecutor Weighs Charges in Violent Arrests Caught on Video
Dent, who was hospitalized for three days as a result of his injuries, claimed during his felony drug trial that Melendez planted cocaine in his vehicle. The charges against Dent have been dismissed, Worthy said.
The charges against Melendez, who is not yet in custody, include felony charges of misconduct in office and mistreatment of a prisoner, both five-year felonies, and two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, 10-year felonies.
Worthy declined to comment on Melendez’s overall conduct as an officer, which has been questioned in a dozen lawsuits since 1996, or on the Inkster Police Department in general. The Inkster City Council fired Melendez after a Michigan State Police investigation.
Also during the news conference, Worthy said her office doesn’t plan to seek charges against officers shown in a bystander’s cell phone video of the arrest of Andrew Jackson Jr. on carjacking charges in January.
Jackson has filed a $1 million lawsuit against officers involved in his arrest by a regional anti-carjacking task force. Jackson claims he was beat and kicked after he was already handcuffed, but Worthy said a review of the video doesn’t support that.
(Video and screenshot via WJBK-TV/YouTube)
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