Fearing Jail Cop will say anything: White Fresno officer admits draft police report inaccurate in Beating, Shooting of Unarmed Latino Man
/A former Fresno police officer admitted Friday in his federal criminal trial that he lied about some details in his initial police report seven years ago, but denied charges of police brutality and a cover-up.
Chris Coleman's October 2005 police report says he shot suspect Rolando Celdon with a bean-bag shotgun because Celdon was armed with a stick and a beer bottle.
Not true, Coleman said Friday.
He also testified that he told Celdon in English and Spanish to put his hands over his head. When Celdon didn't comply, he got shot, Coleman said.
But on cross-examination, Coleman backtracked, telling prosecutor Jared Fishman and a U.S. District Court jury that he wasn't sure whether he spoke Spanish to Celdon.
Coleman, however, was clear about why he shot Celdon. He said the domestic violence suspect posed a dangerous threat to him and fellow officers because he kept putting his hands near his waistband.
"He hadn't been searched," Coleman pleaded to the jury. "He could have had a weapon."
In his first full day on the witness stand, Coleman captured the attention of jurors with his candid account -- that included a few curse words -- of what led him and two other officers to punch and kick Celdon, shock him with a stun gun, and shoot him with a bean-bag shotgun on Oct. 10, 2005.
He admitted to violating department policy by not writing his account on the day of the incident. But he denied committing a cover-up. He told jurors his initial report was a draft that he fully intended to correct once he verified the information.
An indictment accuses Coleman and former officer Paul Van Dalen of using excessive force. Sgt. Michael Manfredi and former officer Sean Plymale are accused of concealing the alleged assault. All four are charged with falsifying an official report to obstruct justice.
If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison.
Celdon was deported after being convicted in December 2005 of stalking and striking his girlfriend. Because he can't be found in Mexico, the prosecution's case is built on the testimony of Fresno police officers Martin Van Overbeek, Tom Hardin Jr. and Beau Burger.
All three officers testified that the unarmed Celdon posed no threat when Coleman fired six or seven bean-bag rounds at him and Van Dalen kicked him in the side at least twice. They also said they never saw a weapon near Celdon when he was taken into custody.
On the witness stand, Coleman testified that he only remembered shooting Celdon four times. He also said he saw Van Dalen kick Celdon one time.
Coleman said he had to take drastic actions because police radio traffic indicated that Celdon had broken into his girlfriend's southeast Fresno apartment and hit her. He then left before police arrived.
A short time later, Plymale and his police dog, Tymo, confronted Celdon a few blocks from the girlfriend's home, and for a brief moment, Plymale lost radio contact with his fellow officers.
"I thought something went wrong," Coleman said.
While Plymale waited for backup, Celdon ran, but Tymo locked onto his ankle. Celdon then dragged the 70-pound dog over a 6-foot fence topped with three strands of barbed wire.
Coleman said that when he arrived, Plymale told him he had used a stun gun on Celdon but it had no effect. Plymale also told him what happened to Tymo.
"He took a freaking 70-pound dog over a fence. That had never been heard of before," Coleman said, telling the jury that he believed Celdon was under the influence of powerful drugs because he exhibited "super-human strength."
