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CRIME

Detroit-area officer due in court on assault charge tied to beating of motorist in January

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    This photo provided April 21, 2015 by the Michigan State Police shows Inkster, Michigan, officer William Melendez. Melendez is charged with assault in the beating of a motorist during a traffic stop in Inkster, Michigan, on Jan. 28. (Michigan State Police via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    William Melendez leaves the court after being arraigned and having bail set on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 in Inkster, Mich. A judge has entered a not guilty plea and set bond at $25,000 for Melendez, a Detroit-area police officer charged in the beating of Floyd Dent, a motorist, that was caught on video. (Brandy Baker/Detroit News via AP) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT; HUFFINGTON POST OUT (The Associated Press)

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    William Melendez, left, confers with his attorney David Lee during his arraignment on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 in Inkster, Mich. A judge has entered a not guilty plea and set bond at $25,000 for Melendez, a Detroit-area police officer charged in the beating of Floyd Dent, a motorist, that was caught on video. (Brandy Baker/Detroit News via AP) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT; HUFFINGTON POST OUT (The Associated Press)

INKSTER, Mich. – A Detroit-area police officer charged with assault in the beating of a motorist is scheduled to make his first court appearance.

William Melendez is due in Inkster District Court on Tuesday, a day after charges were announced in the bloody beating of Floyd Dent.

The 57-year-old Dent was repeatedly punched in the head during a traffic stop in Inkster on Jan. 28. Prosecutors didn't know about the beating until a TV station in March aired dashcam video of the arrest.

Melendez insists he did nothing wrong. He's been fired as an officer in Inkster and Highland Park.