Man severely beaten by officer in Detroit suburb settles lawsuit for $1.4m

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/28/beaten-police-officer-inkster-lawsuit-floyd-dent

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A man who was severely beaten by a police officer in a Detroit suburb has agreed to settle a lawsuit for nearly $1.4m, on the same day the officer is to appear for a court hearing to determine if he goes to trial on an assault charge stemming from the incident.

Video shows William Melendez repeatedly punching Floyd Dent during a traffic stop in Inkster, Michigan, in January. Dent’s head and shirt were covered with blood.

Dent’s attorney, Nicholas Bennett, said on Thursday the town of Inkster agreed to quickly settle a lawsuit over the beating.

Bennett said the 57-year-old Dent is happy about the money but he would give it up to have avoided the beating. The violent arrest wasn’t publicly known until WDIV-TV aired the video weeks later.

Melendez was fired and denies wrongdoing.