CHICOPEE, Mass.) (WGGB)– The prosecution rested its case on Tuesday in the Jeffrey Asher police brutality trial.
Asher is charged with assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the arrest of Melvin Jones of Springfield on November 27, 2009.
The last witness for the prosecution was Dr. Larry Litscher, an opthamologist, who was shown pictures of Melvin Jones face after being hit by officer Asher,”The side of the face was deformed because of swelling and bruising, the eyelid was extensively swollen, bulging such that it could not easily be opened,” says Dr. Litscher.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris says Jeffrey Asher used excessive force that night striking Jones 17 times with a flashlight.
But Defense Attorney Joseph Monahan says Asher did what he had to do when he heard another officer say Jones was grabbing for that officer’s gun.
The officer who made that statement is Michael Sedergren.
He was the first witness the defense called to the stand, ” I felt the firearm was going to dislodge from the holster and be used against us, and I didn’t want that to happen,” says Sedergren.
That’s when Sedergren yelled out,” I said he’s got my f—gun, smash him,” says Sedergren.
Officer Sedergren says Jeffrey Asher hit Jones three times, in the head, shoulder, and upper arm .
Then he says about 10 seconds later Asher inflicted another round of blows on Jones after another officer said Jones was reaching for an area on his sweatpants where Sedergren thought Jones might have had a weapon. Sedergren says he became suspicious of that area when first observing Jones after the car in which he was a passenger was stopped and what Jones did when being frisked by police, “The fact that officer Truiolo initially had made his way up his right leg, and once he hit that area, that’s when Mr. Jones took off running, I didn’t know what it was, in my mind, I assumed it was a weapon, I yelled for officer Asher to strike him again and he did just that,” says Sedergren.
Officer Sedergren says police found narcotics in Jones right pocket.
Under cross examination from Prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris, Sedergren said he never saw Jones grab his gun.
He said he felt that Jones right arm was on his firearm.
Testimony in the case resumes Friday morning in Chicopee District Court.