The Dallas City Council has voted to approve a $1.1 million settlement for a man who claims he was beaten and falsely arrested by a police officer.
Ronald Bernard Jones, 62, spent 15 months in jail following the incident, which led to his being charged with two felonies -- both later dismissed.
On December 18, 2009, Jones was stopped by Officer Matthew Antkowiak as he walked down Reunion Boulevard. What happened next became a matter of dispute between officer Antkowiak's account and the surveillance footage.
A police report stated that Jones threw a beer can at Antkowiak, which is not seen in the video. The officer also told investigators that Jones turned around suddenly while he was frisking him on the squad car hood, so he took him to the ground and engaged in a struggle.
The officer claimed that he hit his head hard on the pavement and was disoriented after that, according to the investigation. He told a sergeant that Jones began to choke him and kicked him so hard between the legs that he was actually lifted off the ground.
But that's not what surveillance footage obtained by WFAA showed.
"Had the videos not surfaced, it's likely that Mr. Jones would have been convicted of this and served a very long prison sentence," said his attorney, Don Tittle.
According to WFAA, a pair of dash cam videos show multiple officers holding down Jones, with one kicking him several times.
Still, police arrested Jones and charged him with aggravated assault of a public servant and cocaine possession, both felonies. Those charges, however, were dismissed in 2011.
Antkowiak left the police department in January 2012. The other officers were cleared.
Like Us On Facebook |
Follow Us On Twitter |
Contact The Author
Related
Before You Go
