Man Beaten By Inkster Police Settles For $1.37M; Fired Officer Ordered To Stand Trial For Assault

INKSTER (WWJ/AP) - A 57-year old man whose January arrest and beating by Inkster police officers during a traffic stop  has reached a $1.37 million settlement with the city.

The deal between Floyd Dent and the city of Inkster was finalized Thursday  — the same day a former police officer charged in his bloody beating was ordered to stand trial.

Fired Inkster police officer William Melendez appeared Thursday in Inkster District Court on charges of misconduct in office and assault with intent to do great bodily harm in connection with the beating, which was caught on video.

[VIDEO: Inkster Police Dashcam Violent Arrest Of Floyd Dent]

Footage from a police dashboard camera shows Melendez, 46, repeatedly punching Dent during a traffic stop. Prosecutors say they weren't aware of the beating until WDIV-TV aired the video weeks later and it subsequently went viral online, drawing protests.

On the stand Thursday, Dent shared his account of the incident.

"When I first noticed him (Melendez) was when he came to the car...told me to get out of the car or he'll kill me," Dent said. "Just as I got ready to get out of the car...my arms was out, and the officer grabbed me by the arms and pulled me out of the car and threw me to the ground."

That's when, Dent said, Melendez began choking him.

"He choked me so hard I couldn't breathe. I kept choking five or six times, I couldn't breathe," Dent said.

The attorney for Melendez, Jim Thomas, tried to poke holes in Dent's account of the incident.

Thomas says a videotape shows Dent was at a hotel buying cocaine.

Dent says he was driving on a suspended license but he did not have cocaine.

"You continued to struggle even after he hit you on the head?" asked Thomas.

"Yeah, because he was hitting me in the head, I was trying to protect my face," said Dent.

Dent says he was not resisting arrest -- also testifying that he has lingering medical problems due to the beating.

Following Thursday's testimony, Judge Sabrina Johnson decided there's enough evidence to send the case against Melendez — known by the nickname "Robocop" — to trial in Wayne County court.

Melendez has denied any wrongdoing. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Police had claimed Dent, who was driving on a suspended license, refused to stop and had cocaine in the car; although Dent claimed police planted the drugs. All charges against Dent in connection with the incident have been dropped.

Dent's attorney Greg Role said they're now focusing their litigation on Garden City Hospital where he believes an employee conspired with Inkster police to paint his client as a drug user.

"If you look at his medical records there's a box that checks he's positive for cocaine — although there's no serum analysis, no blood work, nothing that would support that," Role told reporters. "OK, where is the substance that they tested? Because we tested him after that and he was totally clean."

Role said that as a 37-year Ford employee, Dent has never done cocaine.

"Quiet honestly, I believe Garden City Hospital did a favor for the police officers and checked the box," Role said.

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