A Michigan judge put a racist cop in his place at his sentencing for beating an unarmed Black man last January. On Tuesday (Feb. 3) William Melendez was sentenced to 13 months to 10 years in prison, plus 85 days credit for time served, stemming from the heinous attack of 58-year-old Floyd Dent.
During the sentencing, Judge Vonda Evans lambasted the former cop for his cowardly and inhumane acts. “You were so into your bravado that you forgot the eye of justice was recording you,” said Evans in a 30-minute statement in court.
“If his conduct was indicative of what he was thinking, I would have thought this: ‘What crime did I commit, being a Black man in a Cadillac, stopped for a minor traffic offense by a group of racist police officers looking to do a n*gger?'” Evans said.
Dashboard camera recorded Dent, a Ford Motor Co. employee, being beaten. Melendez and his partner, John Zieleniewski, pulled him over for an alleged traffic violation. The footage shows Melendez putting Dent in a chokehold and punching him in the head 16 times, as his partner hold his legs.
Three more officers arrive helping to hold Dent down as Melendez continues brutally assaulting him. Dent testified that he was choked to the point of losing consciousness. He was charged with drug possession, assault and resisting an officer, all of which were later dropped.
At his sentencing, Melendez apologized to Dent and his family. “I am truly sorry that this has caused undue hardships in your personal work, and if you have any animosity toward law enforcement, that was not my intention.”
He was fired from Inkster Police Department last Spring, and two officers were suspended. Dent won a $1.4 million civil suit. The jury found Melendez not guilty of separate strangulation count, and was previously found guilty of misconduct.
Watch video of the sentencing below, and hit for video of Melendez assaulting Dent.
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Photo: screencap
