SPRINGFIELD – A police sergeant acknowledged Monday never mentioning that officers confiscated a possible cellphone video in his report on a violent struggle and arrest last year in the entertainment district.
“In retrospect, I wish I had,” Sgt. Steven Kent said during a pre-trial hearing for Middletown, Conn., resident Michael Ververis, who is facing assault and battery on a police officer, attempted larceny of a firearm and other charges from the January 2011 incident on Worthington Street.
“Was that a mistake?,” asked Northampton defense lawyer Luke Ryan.
“It was an oversight,” Kent replied.
Kent was one of nine witnesses testifying Monday in Springfield District Court on a defense motion to dismiss all charges against Ververis. In his motion, Ryan argued that police seized the cellphone from the witness, then erased the video, effectively destroying evidence that could exonerate his client.
Police maintain that Ververis, riding down Worthington Street in a vehicle at bar-closing time, was yelling out the window, trying to incite a fight between two groups on the sidewalk.
After ignoring Kent’s orders to move on, Ververis kept yelling, then spit at Kent; as police pulled him from the vehicle, he grabbed for Kent’s revolver, forcing the officer to kick him several times and force him to the ground, according to police.
Patrolman Christopher Collins testified that he saw a woman apparently using a cellphone to film the arrest, and asked her if she had filmed the entire encounter.
“I said: Did you record it? She said: Yeah, from start to finish,” recalled Collins, who said took the cellphone over the woman’s objections, telling her it was potential evidence.
Under questioning from Ryan, Collins said he did not get a warrant to search or seize the phone.
Collins testified that he did not initially mention the confiscated cellphone when questioned several months later by the department’s Internal Affairs Unit. “I assumed they knew about it,” he said.
Responding to questions from Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett, Kent said he was concerned with the events leading to Ververis’ arrest when writing his arrest report; he never saw the cellphone, and had no idea of whether the arrest was recorded on it, he said.
When the phone was returned to the witness in March, the video was erased, Ryan said. Two other videos taken by bystanders were shown Monday as Ryan asked police witnesses to point out exactly when the defendant reaches for Kent’s gun.
Other police witnesses testifying Monday included Joseph Gentile, president of the local patrolman’s union, and department spokesman Sgt. John M. Delaney.
Members of advocacy groups Arise for Social Justice and Out Now are supporting Ververis and attended Monday’s hearing.
The hearing resumes Tuesday with Raquel Peroza, owner of the disputed cellphone, expected to testify. Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet and Internal Affairs Sgt. Stephen W. Wysznski could also be called, according to the defense.
“In retrospect, I wish I had,” Sgt. Steven Kent said during a pre-trial hearing for Middletown, Conn., resident Michael Ververis, who is facing assault and battery on a police officer, attempted larceny of a firearm and other charges from the January 2011 incident on Worthington Street.
“Was that a mistake?,” asked Northampton defense lawyer Luke Ryan.
“It was an oversight,” Kent replied.
Kent was one of nine witnesses testifying Monday in Springfield District Court on a defense motion to dismiss all charges against Ververis. In his motion, Ryan argued that police seized the cellphone from the witness, then erased the video, effectively destroying evidence that could exonerate his client.
Police maintain that Ververis, riding down Worthington Street in a vehicle at bar-closing time, was yelling out the window, trying to incite a fight between two groups on the sidewalk.
After ignoring Kent’s orders to move on, Ververis kept yelling, then spit at Kent; as police pulled him from the vehicle, he grabbed for Kent’s revolver, forcing the officer to kick him several times and force him to the ground, according to police.
Patrolman Christopher Collins testified that he saw a woman apparently using a cellphone to film the arrest, and asked her if she had filmed the entire encounter.
“I said: Did you record it? She said: Yeah, from start to finish,” recalled Collins, who said took the cellphone over the woman’s objections, telling her it was potential evidence.
Under questioning from Ryan, Collins said he did not get a warrant to search or seize the phone.
Collins testified that he did not initially mention the confiscated cellphone when questioned several months later by the department’s Internal Affairs Unit. “I assumed they knew about it,” he said.
Responding to questions from Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett, Kent said he was concerned with the events leading to Ververis’ arrest when writing his arrest report; he never saw the cellphone, and had no idea of whether the arrest was recorded on it, he said.
When the phone was returned to the witness in March, the video was erased, Ryan said. Two other videos taken by bystanders were shown Monday as Ryan asked police witnesses to point out exactly when the defendant reaches for Kent’s gun.
Other police witnesses testifying Monday included Joseph Gentile, president of the local patrolman’s union, and department spokesman Sgt. John M. Delaney.
Members of advocacy groups Arise for Social Justice and Out Now are supporting Ververis and attended Monday’s hearing.
The hearing resumes Tuesday with Raquel Peroza, owner of the disputed cellphone, expected to testify. Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet and Internal Affairs Sgt. Stephen W. Wysznski could also be called, according to the defense.
Related topics: entertainment-district, luke-ryan, max-bennett, michael-ververis, springfield, springfield-district-court, springfield-police, william-fitchett
Man Wants Charges Dropped in Springfield Police Brutality Case
SPRINGFIELD (WGGB) – A 24 year-old Connecticut man is looking to have what he considers to be several phony charges against him dropped after he says he was a victim of police brutality by the Springfield Police Department. Lawyers for Michael Ververis declined to let their client speak to reporters at Monday’s evidentiary hearing in Springfield District Court. Their client faces 2 misdemeanor charges and one felony charge from a January 2011 incident.
Lawyers for Ververis say their client was dragged out of a car police claimed was blocking traffic on Worthington Street (bars had just let out). They say he was beaten and choked to the point where he lost consciousness by five officers. At the police station, they say Ververis asked an officer to loosen his handcuffs. The officer did momentarily, then tightened them more than they were before.
Springfield Police tell a different story of that night. They say it was Ververis who attacked officers, not the other way around. They also say when trying to subdue Ververis, he reached for an officer’s gun. He was arrested on charges including assault and battery on a police officer and attempt to commit larceny of an officer’s firearm.
Ververis’s lawyers say the police tried to cover up what really happened by deleting a cell phone video of the incident captured by a witness. The police obtained the phone as evidence without a search warrant, it was revealed in the hearing. When it was returned to the owner, they claimed the video was gone. Two other videos have been made public which were taken by other people in the area that night.
Nine Springfield Police officers will testify at the hearing.
Michael Ververis’s family and supporters have set up a website where you can view two of the videos being looked at as evidence.