An Opa-locka officer who is on trial for allegedly striking a teen with mental disabilities back in 2020 testified in his own defense. NBC6’s Marissa Bagg reports
An Opa-locka Police sergeant on trial for allegedly punching a teen during an encounter more than three years ago took the stand at his battery trial Wednesday.
Sgt. Sergio Perez, 37, is accused of punching then 19-year-old Jasef Castro-Reyes during a September 2020 encounter.
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Body camera footage showed the scuffle that happened after family members called police to report that Castro-Reyes was acting erratic and violent.
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Testifying in his own defense Wednesday, Perez said Castro-Reyes threatened the officers.
"I'm not going to say he's not serious when he says he's going to kill us, especially when he's fighting us and we don't have control over him. I’m going to take that serious enough until he’s handcuffed and secure," Perez said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement found Perez intentionally struck Castro-Reyes and dragged him by his feet, causing him to hit his head on concrete steps.
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On the stand Wednesday, Perez said he was trying to de-escalate the situation.
"You felt it was legal reasonable means to drag this person out the door before making sure his head is secure correct?" he was asked.
"Yes, that’s what brought this event to its end, the fact that we took him outside," Perez responded.
After Perez took the stand, closing arguments were delivered, and the jury was expected to begin deliberations.
Perez was demoted from lieutenant to sergeant within a year of the incident, because it was the second battery charge filed against him within a year.
The initial case, which involved Perez allegedly firing a Taser at a co-worker, was dropped in January.
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Perez remains a sergeant with Opa-locka Police and is on paid administrative leave while awaiting a jury's decision in the battery case.