PAW PAW, Mich. — A jury found Mathew Mistretta, a former officer with the Hartford Police Department, not guilty Tuesday.
Mistretta was charged with several counts of assault and battery, along with misconduct in office.
READ MORE: Trial begins for ex-Hartford officer accused of using excessive force during arrest
The trial lasted four days. It took the jurors only about two and a half hours to decide to acquit Mistretta.
This acquittal came nearly three years after a video on social media showed Mistretta taking a man to the ground during an arrest.
READ MORE: Former Hartford police officer charged with assault, misconduct, speaks out
Prosecutors argued that Mistretta's use of force was excessive.
The defense maintained that Mistretta was doing what he could with the information he had at the time— the suspect was believed to be involved in a shooting.
The alleged victim, Lauro Espino, said during the trial that he was not resisting arrest. He claims Mistretta pushed him against the hood of his patrol car and "tossed" him to the ground.
Espino did admit that he was drunk, speeding and bleeding from his head when Mistretta pulled him over.
While he was not involved in a shooting, Espino, at the time, was facing charges in connection to the death of a 17-year-old who had been hit by a car.
FOX 17 did reach out to Espino's family and has not heard back.
