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After a beat down in an elevator, Joshua Daniel Ortiz ended up with his nose broken and facing a charge of battering a Fort Lauderdale police officer.
The 22-year-old Sunrise man was surprised and delighted to learn Wednesday that Broward prosecutors were dropping the case against him after reviewing an elevator surveillance video showing three officers aggressively rush and beat Ortiz to the ground. Once the Dec. 5 video surfaced, it altered the course of the case. It contradicted police reports that Ortiz provoked and attacked Officers Derek Lade, Stefan Silver and Steve Smith.
“They were just sitting there watching my life go down the drain with those charges,” Ortiz said Wednesday. “I’ve been going crazy thinking my life is over. It’s barely started and it’s over.”The looming legal charges delayed Ortiz’s enrollment in college classes, he said. Police first charged Ortiz with felony battery on a law enforcement officer. But after seeing the video obtained by Ortiz’s defense attorney, Stephen Melnick, prosecutors downgraded the charge to a misdemeanor resisting charge. Upon further review, prosecutors dropped the case entirely.
Yes Officer….there are surveillance cameras in banks!!!! I know that’s hard for some of you to comprehend. But when you feel the overwhelming urge to beat the snot out of someone, use your head and do it in a back alleyway like the good old days.
Why don’t you whiney little libs become cops and change the system you don’t like. Oh wait, you can’t, you have to be human to join the force and not squealing little mice!
#21 Guy Fawkes, why don’t you move to Russia, you are obviously not an American, that is you don’t believe Americans have rights.
I hear the police in Russia are just the way you like them.
#16 jescott418, that day never existed. Recall the 60′s?
Some cops grow a sack when a badge is placed on their shirt. Take the badge off, and square-off one-to-one and see what happens.
They should all be fired, and charges filed on behalf of the dude who got his ass kicked for no reason.
#21, Guy Fucks,
Why don’t you whiney little libs become cops and change the system you don’t like.
Is this the Constitution all those right wing nut types like to boast about? The system where the police work for the people?
questions is, did he do the right thing and counter sue / sue the police?
Does no one else find it hillarious that a person with the monicker “Guy Fawkes” is advocating for greater police beatdown authority?
#10, Detroit said:
“Prosecuting law enforcement officers when they assault people than file false reports to cover it up is the only way this type of behavior will stop.”
Yes, true. But in many states/counties the DA’s office has prosecutorial control, and are in league with their police felons, I mean fellows. So prosecutions of police officers rarely happen, except in egregious circumstances (or when the DA is up for reelection).
Outright lying on a police report should be prosecutable instead of, “Oops! Sorry. I may have overstated things a bit.” And then a slight reprimand. A badge is a symbol of the authority of the law and NOT a license to be a thug. But, cops can be criminals who want a steady income and to not live in jail but, be allowed to behave in the same exact thug ways.
The NFL player and his wife trying to get to her dying mother in time are LUCKY AS HELL that the cop didn’t shoot them for a traffic violation.
If you don’t want to be punished by a police officer then don’t antagonize them. What kind of fucking moron decides to talk shit and buck up to a guy in body armour carrying weapons. Myabe if more people actually respected officers they wouldn’t get themselves into this kind of shit. Next time a cop tells you to do something, do it quick and don’t argue. Moron deserved it.
Fu@* the police. weak ass punks.