William Melendez was released Tuesday from the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility after 14 months.
The former Inkster police officer received a minimum prison sentence of 13 months and a maximum of 10 years for beating an unarmed man during a traffic stop. The beating was caught on video and shared with the public by the Local 4 Defenders.
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Watch: Judge Vonda Evans' speech before Melendez's sentence
Melendez now will trade in his prison blues for street clothes and walk out of the prison in Ionia, Mich. His time has been served and he will walk out a free man on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
"I knew this day would come. I have forgiven him," said Melendez's victim, Floyd Dent.
Dent has no animosity about Melendez's release as long as the former police officer learned his lesson and other officers have learned to treat people fairly.
"I think he has changed. I hope he will treat people better," said Dent.
A look back at what happened
This disturbing tale began on a January night in 2015. Melendez pulled over Dent for running a stop sign. Dent, a longtime Ford Motor Company employee with no criminal record, opened his door when the officer approached. Melendez pulled him from the car and put him in a choke hold. He punched Dent in the head 16 times.
Watch the video here:
"I'm getting into tears thinking about it. I don't even want to watch the tape of them beating me because I get upset," Dent said during a March 2015 interview with Local 4.
At the time, Dent was charged with eluding police, assaulting an officer and possession of cocaine. He said he was innocent and beaten for now apparent reason.
"I was just covered in blood. I'm lucky to be living, because I think they was trying to kill me," he said.
When the video was aired on Local 4 News, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was watching. It was the first time she had heard about the video. After a new investigation, Worthy dropped all of the charges against Dent and filed new ones against Melendez.
Dent believes without Local 4's coverage he would have spent years behind bars for crimes he never committed and Melendez would have continued to patrol the streets of Metro Detroit as an officer of the law.
"I would not be here today. I would still be locked up," said Dent.
Changes in Inkster
Instead, Melendez was fired, tried and convicted. His boss, Inkster Police Chief Vicki Yost, resigned from her position. The city of Inkster paid Dent just less than $1.4 million to settle a civil lawsuit.
Dent's attorney Greg Rohl said the money should send a message to all law enforcement that police misconduct will bot be tolerated.
"They have a new police chief, new officers and new policies as a result of this incident," he said.
Prosecutor Worthy wrote a letter to the parole board asking them to keep Melendez locked up. Worthy said 14 months of a possible 10 years is too light. But Melendez will be a free man next week. He hopes to work private security and run a cleaning business.
Looking back, Dent wishes he never drove through Inkster that night. But he realizes his misfortune has made the community a safer place for other minorities who live, work and visit the city.
Inkster's new police chief, William Riley, said the department is committed to excellence and professionalism while being sensitive to the needs of the entire community.