FLORIDA (Washington Insider Magazine) – Officials stated Wednesday that a video of a Florida law enforcement officer repeatedly hitting a man and putting his knee into the man’s head after he had been handcuffed showed him using extreme force.
According to court documents, Nicholas Lordi, 34, of the West Palm Beach Police Department, was booked with aggravated violence in the Nov. 1, 2019, incident just outside a South Florida local supermarket.
According to a legal justification statement submitted in Palm Beach County court of law, the assault left John Monroque, 65, with a fractured nose.
As per the statement, Lordi responded to a 911 call reporting a guy named Monroque who was inebriated and declined to exit the grocery store.
Monroque was characterized as “disrespectful” by Lordi, who claimed he started fighting with officials. He said that Monroque tried to seize another officer’s pistol at one point, forcing Lordi to “take [him] to the ground.”
Lordi’s statements were challenged by video from bodycams and a surveillance camera at the establishment, according to an affidavit from a Florida Police Department investigator who probed the incident.
An examination of the tapes revealed that Lordi had Monroque in a headlock, according to the statement. He allegedly attacked Monroque 6 times, despite the fact that he was not fighting back.
According to the affidavit, the policeman then flipped Monroque on his belly and hit him 5 more times.
Monroque informed officials he had passed out. As Lordi restrained him, he seemed still for about a minute, according to the statement.
According to the affidavit, Lordi warned Monroque to quit spitting and placed his knee on Monroque’s head for 14 seconds.
According to the statement, Lordi described the hits as “a few softening strikes” and claimed he couldn’t recall if Monroque was attempting to hit him. He also disputed using further force after handcuffing Monroque, a claim the affidavit alleges is challenged by video.
The footage was eventually shared on Instagram, and the West Palm Beach Police Department requested an investigation 6 months after the assault.
The city police department noted in a statement to NBC affiliate WPTV in West Palm Beach that it completed a use-of-force review right after the event based on the facts presented at the time.
