A former Dallas police officer will serve a six-month sentence in the jail where he once took prisoners after the 2011 beating of a man that was caught on police dashcam video.
Quiatemes Williams was sentenced Friday by State District Judge Mike Snipes for a June conviction on the charge of official oppression.
In the video from 2011, driver Rodarick Lyles was pulled from his car by several officers. Williams, who was a rookie officer at the time, could be seen kicking Lyles and beating him with a flashlight.
Williams was fired after the incident, and the City of Dallas paid Lyles $500,000 to settle a lawsuit over it.
In court Friday, defense attorney George Milner asked the judge for a sentence of probation.
"This wasn't an officer that just went out and initiated a problem," Milner said. "This was a man who vigorously fought three police officers for as long as he could. If you start trouble with police, you're going to have a problem."
His former supervisor testified Williams was a good officer, but on cross examination the sergeant admitted he never expected Williams to do what was seen in the video.
Prosecutor Russell Wilson asked for a year in jail and restitution of $500,000 to make Williams pay the city's settlement.
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"This is a case of intentional misconduct," Wilson said. "You have to remember, other officers had to stop him. He got into a conflict with his fellow officers."
Prosecutors presented sentencing testimony from two other people who filed internal affairs complaints about Williams during the year he spent on the police force.
"We don't think it's a coincidence that a person within a 12-month time span has three individuals who don't know him, don't know each other, filing complaints of a similar type nature. But we will respect that verdict," Wilson said.
Lyles testified at the sentencing hearing about the trauma he and his kids suffered.
After the 180-day sentence was handed down, Lyles said he was disappointed Williams did not get more but was glad to put the incident behind him.
"And I'm just thankful that I'm still standing right now. I'm upset how long it took, but it finally came," Lyles said.
Williams was given the option to start serving his sentence at a later date but chose to go to jail immediately after the hearing.
With good behavior, he could be released from the Dallas County Jail in 60 days.
