Floyd Dent after being brutally and illegally beaten by Officer Bill Melendez
Few police officers in America
have a record of violence and corruption as deep or old as Michigan cop Bill Melendez.
After being caught on video brutally beating Floyd Dent, a grandfather and 37-year veteran of Ford Motor Company, it appears Melendez's time in law enforcement is finally coming to an end. He has just been fired from the Inkster, Michigan, Police Department.
"This is a big step in the right direction for the city of Inkster," said Nicholas Bennett, one of Dent's attorneys. "Too often do we see officers like Melendez get a free ride."
Melendez was placed on desk duty stemming from the January incident where Dent, 57, was pulled over, then kicked and punched more than a dozen times.
Now multiple sources confirm to FOX 2 that Melendez has been suspended for five days, pending his termination.
In a written statement, Inkster city councilman Michael Canty said. "His employment with the city of Inkster has been terminated."
It's a shame that it has taken this long for a man so corrupt and abusive to be held accountable for his actions.
Named in 12 different lawsuits for corruption and violence, Melendez was even indicted by the federal government as the corrupt ringleader inside of the Detroit Police Department in 2003.
Jump below the fold for more.
Bill "Robocop" Melendez
A recent study on police violence conducted by the
Washington Post, titled "Thousands Dead, Few Prosecuted," holds the answer for why so many officers have been able to get away with so much violence—without a combination of being caught unknowingly on film, testified against by fellow officers, or forensic evidence that suggests lies or planted evidence, officers simply don't pay the price for the crimes they commit. Witnesses aren't enough. Forensic evidence is not enough. Video, even, is often not enough. However, when three or more streams of evidence are stacked against officers, a small chance opens up for a conviction. This rarely happens.
Below is the original video that helped get Melendez fired. Criminal charges are still pending and it does not yet appear that any other officers have been fired.