Crime

Ex-Inkster Chief Napoleon Joins Group Protesting Inkster Police Beating of Motorist

March 26, 2015, 12:13 AM

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Ex-Inkster Police Chief Hilton Napoleon

A group protesting a video-taped beating of a motorist by Inkster Police on Jan. 28 had a notable person join them on Wednesday: Former Inkster Police Chief Hilton Napoleon, the brother of Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon.

Napoleon, who resigned as chief last July, citing a lack of resources and adverse working conditions,  joined the group outside the Inkster Police Department, and had some critical words for the department.

"Some of these officers quite frankly need to turn their badge in," he said, according to a report by Dave Spencer of Fox 2. Napoleon went on to say that the department should be resolved and replaced by the Wayne County Sheriff's Department.

"This cannot be fixed, because you have too many officers in there that lack moral integrity."

The protest centered around a videotaped beating of motorist Floyd Dent, 57, who was pulled over in an area in Inkster known for drug sales after he ran a stop sign. Police claim he was fleeing, though a video showed he wasn't. A judge agreed, WDIV reported. 

Dent was pulled out of the car. The video shows that an officer put Dent in a chokehold and slugged him 16 times. Another officer tried cuffing him. And another cop tasered him three times.

Dent said he couldn't breathe and thought he was going to die. The officer who was doing the slugging said Dent bit him.

Dent said at a press conference Wednesday that he has been able to work at his job at the Ford Motor Co., where he's been employed for 37 years. He said he has nightmares and he wants the officer who beat him to go to jail.

"It's very hard. I tried going to work, working for a couple of weeks, but I can't," Dent said.  "I had nightmares and that's why I didn't want to look at the tape, because when I saw it the other day and how they treated me, it was unbelievable."

Police said Dent had crack cocaine in the car. Dent said the drugs were planted. There was no gun, but he was driving with a suspended license.

Interestingly, Kevin Dietz of WDIV, reported that the main officer involved in the incident was charged with planting evidence and falsifying reports when he worked as a Detroit cop in 2003. A jury found him not guilty.  The officer is working a desk job pending the outcome of an investigation by the Michigan State Police into the matter.

Inkster Police Chief Vicki Yost says she was one of the first to view the video and called for an investigation herself, according to the Fox 2 report. 

 

Fox 2 News Headlines


Read more:  Fox 2


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