MIAMI (WSVN) - A man who was captured on body camera video being punched and slammed into the ground by an arresting officer in South Beach during spring break has rejected a plea deal, as jury selection got underway in his trial.
7News cameras captured 20-year-old Edward Palad, wearing a dark colored suit as he sat in a Miami courtroom, Monday afternoon.
It’s a stark contrast to pictures taken of the spring breaker back in March that showed him with broken teeth and a bruised and bloodied face.
Palad’s attorney, Michael Grieco, said his client would not take a plea deal, so the case, likely to rely heavily on bodycam footage, will be going to trial.
According to Miami Beach Police, Palad, a New York resident, is facing a battery charge after he slapped a police sergeant on the back.
An arrest form states the suspect “gave him two forceful open hand slaps to the middle of the back.”
The tense and chaotic footage captured Palad struggling with an officer before he is thrown to the ground near Ninth Street and Ocean Drive, March 19..
“Hands behind your back!” an officer is heard saying.
“Ow! What are you doing? Ow!” said Palad as he is lying on the ground.
The video also shows an officer punching Palad and slamming him against a newspaper stand.
“Stop resisting,” said the officer.
“I’m not resisting … I’m just scared, bruh. I am dripping blood,” said Palad.
The footage later shows Palad sitting on the grass, the lower part of his face covered in blood.
7News spoke about the tough takedown with Grieco on Sunday as he prepared for his court appearance.
“It’s like schoolyard bully stuff,” he said.
The attorney said his client has a spotless record and was bullied by the considerably bigger police officers.
“This kid weighs a buck nothing soaking wet,” said Grieco.
When asked whether he really known whether his client slapped the officer, the attorney replied, “I know what my client tells me, which is he didn’t do a thing.”
Palad appears to acknowledge he touched the law enforcer in the bodycam footage of his arrest.
“Because I smashed you in the back too hard,” he appears to say to the sergeant.
Palad is later heard saying, “Because you got a pat on the back.”
The arrest form states, “During the incident, the defendant admitted to being drunk and slapping Sergeant Gonzalez on the back.”
When asked whether a police officer would rough up or arrest Palad if he had not done anything, Grieco replied, “Maybe he said something the officer didn’t like.”
The jury selection process was completed Monday night. Opening statements are set to take place on Tuesday.
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