Lawyers for a man whom police say battered his ex-girlfriend at a downtown Orlando club last week and then resisted arrest have filed a criminal complaint against the Orlando Police Department.
Noel Carter, the 30-year-old man who was seen on video being kicked and shocked with a stun gun by Orlando police officers, called the beating unjustified.
The South Florida banker, flanked by his two attorneys, addressed reporters Wednesday morning to give his version of the events. Carter's lawyers denied their client did anything to deserve being arrested, but added if he did commit a crime, he did not deserve to be beaten the way he was.
Carter claimed he did not resist arrest as officers approached him at the nightclub. He also said they did not tell him why they were arresting him.
Carter said he was pepper sprayed and kicked several times before the cellphone video that captured much of the arrest began rolling.
An Orlando police report stated Carter was still not cooperating after Officer Charles Mays used a stun gun on him. It also said Officer David Cruz felt obligated to use "foot strikes" in order to get Carter to comply.
At this point, Carter added, he just wants justice.
"I am here today to request the State Attorney's Office do a full and complete investigation into the actions of Officer Mays and Officer Cruz, as depicted in the recorded video, and bring charges against each officer for battery and aggravated battery with a weapon that they illegally inflicted upon me."
Carter's attorneys said their concern was getting the charges against their client dropped. They did not make any mention of a lawsuit Wednesday.
Orlando police Chief John Mina is expected to tell his department's side of the story at a 1 p.m. press conference.
Attorney Natalie Jackson, who served as one of the lawyers for Trayvon Martin's family, said what happened to her client last week is grounds for criminal charges against the officers who arrested him.
"Because of their actions on the videotape, they're trained professionals and that's not what their training tells them to do: to batter, beat and tase people who are sitting passively," Jackson said.
Orlando police released two new videos Tuesday, recorded by a witness who came forward on Monday. In a statement to police, the witness said his videos showed a more complete version of what happened.
The first video appears to show police trying to arrest Carter for allegedly battering his ex-girlfriend last Thursday at Venue 578, a club in downtown Orlando.
The witness wrote in a statement to police that Carter "had a blank stare on his face and was not moving or acknowledging the officer or his commands" and began resisting arrest.
The second video appears to show Carter running away as officers tried to deploy a stun gun on him.
In a third video, which was recorded by another witness, Carter appears to be sitting on the sidewalk. An officer repeatedly kicks the man while shouting commands.