Lawsuit Brews After Cop Beats Old Man With Dementia

Florida officers kicked, punched, Tasered 66-year-old
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 21, 2012 6:03 PM CST

A legal fight is brewing over a Florida cop who kicked and pummeled a 66-year-old man with dementia, Florida Today reports. Officer Derek Middendorf also turned off his car's dashboard camera before encountering Albert Flowers—possibly unaware it was still sending footage to a hard drive. “He should be fired," says Flowers' lawyer, who says he plans to sue. "Anyone who’s being pulled over by this officer should be terrified."

Middendorf was responding to a knife call when approached by Flowers. The officer kicked Flowers and punched him several times, apparently struggling to get Flowers to comply with commands. A fellow officer then arrived and Tasered Flowers. The fallout so far: Police have opted against an administrative review, and charges against Flowers have been dropped. But Flowers' granddaughter says his dementia has worsened. "We just want to move forward,” she says. “There was just no reason to do what they did.” (More police action stories.)

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