A white Florida police officer with a history of excessive force is charged with aggravated assault during the 2019 arrest of a black man following a trespassing report.
West Palm Beach officer Nicholas Lordi turned himself in to the county jail Tuesday night and was released on bond Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Lordi is accused of punching John Monroque and breaking his nose outside a West Palm Beach store on November 1, 2019, six months before the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a national outcry over police abuse of people of black race
A report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) says Lordi and Officer Jamesloo Charles responded to a break-in report. As Charles checked the 65-year-old man’s ID, Lordi pushed his head against the hood of the patrol car, according to the report.
A struggle then ensued as the officers attempted to handcuff Monroque. They ended up on the ground, with Lordi lying on his back putting Monroque in a headlock, according to the report. Lordi then hit him with his left fist and Monroque did not hit him back, the investigation revealed. The man was then flipped face down and Lordi sat on top of him, dealing more blows to his head.
A bystander tried to intervene, but Officer Charles pushed him away, then handcuffed Monroque. Lordi put his right knee on Monroque’s head for 14 seconds, according to court documents.
Monroque was treated at a hospital for a “closed nasal bone fracture,” according to the report. He spent 20 days in jail. The case against him was dismissed a year later.
Lordi testified in 2020 that Monroque was “disrespectful” and was “fighting, walking away and not listening to orders.”
West Palm Beach police opened a use-of-force investigation and asked FDLE to investigate once additional evidence was found. The FDLE report said the surveillance video contradicted some of Lordi’s statements.
Lordi’s attorney Michael Salnick told WPTV he had no comment.
Sue-Ann Robinson, an attorney for Monroque, told reporters that Lordi has “a long history of allegations and excessive force.”
The South Florida SunSentinel reported that internal affairs records show the officer has been disciplined for his conduct toward the public and violating the department’s code of conduct and ethics. As of March 2020, he has been involved in 15 use-of-force incidents since 2015.
It is unknown if the second officer was disciplined for his role in Monroque’s arrest.