In the early morning hours of March 25, a 23-year-old resident of North Dakota was arrested by Fort Lauderdale police following a confrontation that came in the wake of the suspect allegedly hitting a uniformed off-duty officer with the driver’s pickup truck near Southwest Third Avenue. The suspect is being held on $21,000 bail, with a court order indicating that he can’t leave the area.
Cellphone video captured the suspect’s confrontation with police, showing him tightly gripping the steering wheel of the pickup as officers sought to pull him from the vehicle. He was eventually placed in handcuffs after officers tackled him after using pepper spray on him and breaking one of the pickup’s windows.
The incident with the off-duty officer has no video, with the police arrest report indicating that the policeman was knocked down and landed on his knees. The report also notes that the officer’s demand that the suspect stop the vehicle resulted in an obscene response from the driver.
An investigation by Fort Lauderdale police into possible excessive force by officers has begun, with the cellphone video going viral on social media. Less than 48 hours after it was posted, it had more than 50,000 views.
A Fort Lauderdale aggravated battery attorney knows that the circumstances surrounding any confrontation with a member of law enforcement or other similar profession related to public service can often be murky. The intent of the suspect may not be clear and their awareness of exactly who the individual was can often be in question.
The Fort Lauderdale criminal defense law firm of Kenneth Hassett and Associates knows that such events force the prosecution must prove conclusively those facts. As a Fort Lauderdale aggravated battery attorney, he and his staff know how to challenge the veracity of police reports and also know how to cross-examine police officers in a way that ensures the truth about exactly what happened during an incident comes out in a court of law.
The fact that cellphone video of the latter portion of the incident is available in this case offers Kenneth Hassett and his staff to gain a better sense of exactly what took place.
So if you or someone you know is in need of a Fort Lauderdale aggravated battery lawyer, contact the law offices of Kenneth Hassett and Associates. Their experience and passion in gaining justice for their clients offers them a better chance in the courtroom.
