By Jason Geary
THE LEDGER
BARTOW | A former Haines City
police officer told jurors Wednesday that he was trying to help fellow officers
when he attempted to kick a suspect being handcuffed.
Juan Caamano, 30, took the
witness stand in his trial on charges of using excessive force. He faces one
count of misdemeanor attempted battery.
Prosecutors could question
Caamano this morning.
During Wednesday's opening statements,
Assistant State Attorney Kyle McNeal described Caamano's actions as "pure,
unjustified violence" and an unnecessary use of force against a
defenseless suspect.
But Lawrence Collins, one of
Caamano's lawyers, told jurors that his client's actions were reasonable, and
officers are allowed to use physical force in the exercise of their duties.
On a large screen television,
jurors watched video footage taken from a patrol vehicle's dashboard camera
showing the actions of Caamano and other officers in the arrest of Mathew
Manigault.
The footage was shown numerous
times in the courtroom as witnesses were asked to explain details of what was
happening.
Manigault, 66, was one of three
people arrested on the night of Oct. 22, 2010, when a street party on Pearl
Street in Lake Hamilton became too large and rowdy.
Lake Hamilton police officers
requested help from the Haines City Police Department and the Polk County
Sheriff's Office, reports state.
Officers testified the crowd
became hostile when ordered to leave, and some people began throwing bottles
and rocks toward officers and their patrol vehicles.
Officers testified that
Manigault was taken into custody when he refused to leave the area.
Manigault was taken to the
ground by a leg sweep from one officer, according to courtroom testimony.
Witnesses testified that
officers trying to handcuff Manigault used knee strikes and a stun gun to get
him to comply with commands to put his hands behind his back.
Caamano testified he came over
to help the officers trying to take Manigault into custody.
Caamano said he attempted to
kick Manigault's leg with the intention of hurting him so he would put his
hands behind his back.
He said he missed with his kick
and decided not to attempt another kick because he heard one officer yell that
a stun gun was going to be used on Manigault.
Manigault was arrested on
charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting officers without violence, but
the State Attorney's Office later declined to prosecute him, records show.
Caamano was fired April 7,
2011, following an internal investigation that concluded he violated city
policies. The State Attorney's Office then filed criminal charges against him.