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Asher enters not guilty plea
Asher's attorney says client was justified
Updated: Friday, 03 Dec 2010, 8:22 PM EST
Published : Friday, 03 Dec 2010, 12:25 PM EST
HOLYOKE, Mass (WWLP) - A former Springfield police officer, accused of police brutality, pleaded not guilty in court Friday morning. Jeffrey Asher appeared in a Holyoke courtroom for arraignment on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the beating case of Melvin Jones III.
His lawyer entered a not guilty plea for him during the private arraignment. Asher was allegedly caught on tape beating Jones with a flashlight during a traffic stop in November of 2009. But his attorney says Asher's actions were justified. "I've reviewed all the facts and been to extensive hearings and looked at the videos and the force that my client used was directly proportionate to the resistance that was offered by Mr. Jones and you can see that in the video, " said Defense Attorney, Joseph Monahan III.
Asher has since been fired from the Springfield police force. Three other officers involved in the incident were suspended, but remain employed and have not been charged. Asher will appear again in court for a pretrial conference December 20th.
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