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Former Police Officers Accused Of Assault Take Plea Deal
By: Associated Press
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CLEVELAND (AP) – Two former police officers in Ohio accused of beating a man they had arrested have pleaded guilty to reduced charges, avoiding a criminal trial for charges including assault and kidnapping.
Prosecutors say Denayne Davidson-Dixon and Gerald Spencer II tried to stage a fight between Davidson-Dixon and a man they had arrested in a traffic stop. Jesse Nickerson says they drove him to a park and removed his handcuffs, assaulting him after he took off running.
The former East Cleveland officers were scheduled for trial Monday. Davidson-Dixon pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including assault. Spencer pleaded guilty to interfering with civil rights and dereliction of duty, both misdemeanors.
Charges against Nickerson related to the traffic stop were later dropped.
Davidson-Dixon and Spencer were fired from the police force in July 2016.