The vicious beating of Floyd Dent, 57, a retired black autoworker with no criminal history, by a notorious cop known as “Robocop” has been widely reported in the media.
“Robocop” is William Melendez, repeatedly accused of wrongful arrest, falsifying reports, planting evidence, and assaulting suspects. A grainy dashcam video of him punching Dent after a traffic stop on Jan. 28 triggered a public uproar.
Now, another video has surfaced, this one recorded by a police station camera. It shows several cops mockingly reenacting Dent’s beating, reminiscent of a scene from the movie “Stalin” (1992, starring Robert Duvall) where the dictator’s inner circle mockingly reenacts Zinoviev’s execution.
The Inkster, Michigan, police department didn’t turn it over to Dent’s attorneys, even though it’s material evidence, until a Detroit TV station obtained and aired it. Here it is:
The Dent case continues to have repercussions. To date, all charges against Dent have been dropped; Inkster’s police chief has resigned; Melendez has been fired and is facing prosecution; and the other officers in the second video are now being investigated and face likely disciplinary action. And, of course, Dent is suing the city of Inkster and Melendez.
Inkster police officials knew they were getting a problem cop when they hired Melendez. He became infamous while serving with the nearby Detroit police department. Melendez is a prime example of the “revolving door” that allows bad cops forced to leave a police agency to easily get another police job, despite their records, because smaller police departments are especially eager to hire trained officers who who can be deployed to street duties immediately.
Inkster’s police department is a poster child for such departments. One of its former chiefs has criticized his former department for having too many “bad apples,” and complained his efforts to fire two of them were thwarted by the police union and city manager. Maybe when Dent is finished suing Inkster, there won’t be a city or police department anymore. The troubled town is already on the financial ropes and this may finally tip it into bankruptcy.