Former Springfield Police Officer Jeffrey Asher sentenced to 18 months in jail

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Former Springfield police officer Jeffrey Asher has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for the beating of Melvin Jones, III during a traffic stop.

Asher was sentenced Wednesday morning in Chicopee District Court, less than a month after he was found guilty on assault charges.

The former officer will also be put on probation for two years following his sentence, and will have to take anger management treatment. He will have to pay a monthly fee for the probation.

Prosecutors accused Asher of hitting Jones multiple times with a flashlight during a traffic stop on Rifle Street in November of 2009. The incident, which was captured on video, was cited by many members of the community as an example of police brutality.

Asher was fired by the department in 2010, and is at risk of losing his disability pension.

Jones’ father, Melvin Jones, Sr. said it was important to his son that Asher receive jail time. “I think that putting this guy behind bars means a lot to him, and to my family, and all of us. It means a lot to us,” Jones said.

Asher’s attorney Joseph Monahan said that he was surprised and very disappointed with the sentence.

“I didn’t expect him to receive a sentence like that, especially under the facts of this particular case. Keeping in mind that my client is a law enforcement officer responding to the police, for help of his fellow officers," Monahan said.

In court on Wednesday, the defense had requested a stay of the sentence until Asher's children are out of school, but the judge denied the request.