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Jeffrey Asher police brutality trial jurors to resume deliberations after failing to reach verdict

CHICOPEE – Jurors in the police brutality trial against former Springfield patrolman Jeffrey M. Asher will continue deliberations Tuesday after about 3½ hours deliberating the case Monday.

The all-white jury of four men and two women at one point Monday afternoon asked District Court Judge Maureen E. Walsh to reread to them the definition of the charges Asher faces in connection with a traffic stop of Melvin Jones III on Nov. 27, 2009.

Asher is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a flashlight) and assault and battery.

Jones, who has a criminal record, received a broken eye socket, a broken finger, lacerations to his face, two broken teeth and damage to his eye.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are not saying that Melvin Jones is a saint,” prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris said in her closing arguments Monday. “The police are trained to deal with people who are not saints.”

She said Asher did not, as the defense claims, act in self-defense or defense of two fellow officers when he repeatedly slammed his flashlight into Jones.

The incident was captured on video by a woman living near the Rifle Street location where it occurred.

Both prosecution and defense have cited various points in the video they say give credence to their arguments.

Dunphy Farris said there is no credible evidence Jones tried to reach for Officer Michael Sedergren’s gun. Sedergren, Asher and Officer Theodore Truiolo testified they never saw Jones reach for the gun.

Sedergren said he felt Jones reach for his gun in his holster as he and Truiolo had Jones up against the hood of a car. He said he told the other two officers Jones had his gun. Jones did not have the gun, evidence has shown.

Defense lawyer Joseph Monahan III, in his closing arguments, said, “A police officer’s lot in life is a tough one.”

He said there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop in a high crime area.

Monahan said Jones ran during a pat down frisk and when Truiolo and Sedergren caught onto him, Jones was able to “lug” the two officers 10 yards as they held him.

Sedergren and Truiolo then had Jones against the hood of the car.

“The ultimate nightmare of a police officer happens. He’s (Jones) going for his firearm,” Monahan said. He said Sedergren told Asher to hit Jones and Asher did.

Monahan said the only reason the officers reacted the way they did is because they were in abject fear of Jones getting the firearm. The officers, Asher particularly, used the force that was necessary, he said.

Jones was completely reckless – completely disregarding anyone’s safety but himself, Monahan said.

Monahan said of Jones: “He’s a one-man crime wave ... he’s not to be believed. He has no credibility.”

“The police officers on this day were cleaning up the streets. This is a war zone and the officers acted reasonably under the circumstances,” Monahan said.