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February 5, 2016

Michigan: Judge Slams "Racist" Officers During Sentencing over Beating of Black Man
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In other news from Michigan, a judge has sentenced former Inkster police
officer William Melendez to at least 13 months and up to 10 years in
prison for pummeling unarmed African American Floyd Dent in the head 16
times during a traffic stop last year. Melendez, nicknamed Robo Cop, has
been sued repeatedly for excessive force. Judge Vonda Evans spoke for
nearly 30 minutes at Melendez's sentencing Wednesday.

Judge Vonda Evans: "But the one image that struck [sic] out to the court
was looking at Mr. Dent in his cell shaking his head in disbelief of
what had occurred to him. 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-word]."



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