Former Dallas Officer Found Guilty in 2011 Beating

A former Dallas police officer was found guilty Friday evening of official oppression after video showed him beating a man while he was on the ground in handcuffs.

Former officer Quaitemes Williams lost his job with the department after the January 2011 incident.

Williams was assisting in arresting Rodarick Lyles for a suspended license when things escalated quickly.

The entire incident ws captured on a dashboard camera. The video showed three officers struggling to put handcuffs on Lyles.

Once on the ground, Williams was seen grabbing a flashlight and hitting Lyles repeatedly on the head.

And once in handcuffs, he sprayed Lyles in the face with Mace and kicked him in the head.

During testimony, Williams told jurors Lyles was cussing, spitting at him and refusing arrest.

“I said I told you not to spit and if you spit I’m going to Mace you,” Williams said to jurors about his words to Lyles during the arrest.

Williams then explained the alleged kick to the head.

“Especially because he was spitting, I needed his head turned away from me and being that he was covered in Mace, using your hands would be impractical," Williams said. "So the practical and sensible option was to use my foot to turn away his head."

On Thursday, Lyles testified that he never argued with officers or tried to fight them off during his arrest.

Jurors took two hours to deliberate and ultimately found Williams guilty of his actions.

Lyles said Williams wasn’t telling the truth on the stand.

“He was lying," Lyles said. "He was trying to cover up for what he did. He knows what he done. The evidence was in the footage."

A sentencing date will be set for Williams within the next 30 days.

He could spend up to a year in the Dallas County Jail.  

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