Jury selection begins in trial of ex-deputy charged with beating motorist

3 years ago 262

Christopher Butler was severely injured during his December 2019 apprehension successful St. Johns County, household says

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – An ex-deputy with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, seen connected video beating a antheral during a December 2019 postulation stop, volition spell connected proceedings this week connected a complaint of aggravated battery.

Deputy Anthony DeLeo was arrested aft 2 videos recorded by a witnesser showed his usage of unit against Christopher Butler. The videos were fixed to Butler’s family, who turned them implicit to investigators.

DeLeo was fired from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

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Jury enactment begins Monday successful DeLeo’s trial. Once a assemblage is seated, prosecutors volition laic retired their lawsuit they accidental shows DeLeo’s usage of unit was excessive.

The household told News4Jax that Butler was severely injured by deputies aft helium was pulled implicit for driving 15 mph connected Interstate 95.

Video of his arrest, captured by a witnesser and a authorities trooper’s dash camera, shows that implicit a astir four-minute span DeLeo deed Butler 19 times with his baton, and kicked him successful the caput twice, portion Butler was sitting connected the crushed offering small resistance.

After DeLeo deed and kicked Butler, minimal effort was made to handcuff Butler, according to a warrant affidavit.

“Based connected the actions of (DeLeo), the gratuitous magnitude of unit applied and the grade of injuries sustained by the victim; probable origin was established for the complaint of aggravated battery,” the warrant affidavit stated.

According to authorities, Butler would not cooperate during a postulation stop.

After helium was pulled implicit connected County Road 210, a witnesser captured what happened adjacent connected his cellphone and shared it with Butler’s family. Teri Morgenstern, Butler’s mother, shared the video with News4Jax.

In the video, Butler tin beryllium heard screaming and moaning erstwhile helium was shocked with a Taser respective times. Later successful the video, DeLeo comes astatine him with a baton.

“He had a breached nose. They broke his shoulder, his elbows, his wrists and helium has nervus harm wherever helium can’t consciousness his thumb oregon forefinger successful his ascendant arm,” said his mother, Teri Morgenstern. “They bushed him similar helium was nothing. Like helium wasn’t a quality being>”

In the study from the Sheriff’s Office, investigators said Butler was being uncooperative and was not responding to commands. They believed helium was connected drugs due to the fact that it appeared to them the Taser had nary effect, according to the report.

Attorney John Phillips, representing Butler, said Butler was going done a aesculapian occurrence erstwhile helium was pulled over.

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