Jury deliberating in Asher case

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - A Chicopee jury is deciding the fate of former Springfield police officer Jeffrey Asher, who is accused of beating a man with a flashlight during a traffic stop.

Testimony and closing arguments have wrapped up, and now the jury is deliberating in the assault case.

Asher’s trial began last week, and witnesses in the case have included the former officer himself, as well as the alleged victim, Melvin Jones, III. During a traffic stop on Rifle Street in November of 2009, Asher allegedly struck Jones 17-18 times with his flashlight. Asher claims that Jones had reached for an officer's gun. The incident, which was caught on video, was cited by some as an example of police brutality.

Asher had been fired from the police department in October of 2010. If he is convicted by the jury, he could face up to 10 years in prison.