Ex-Springfield officer's brutality trial starts

CHICOPEE, Mass. (AP) -- The trial of a former Springfield police officer accused of severely beating a man with a flashlight during a traffic stop is getting started.

Jeffrey Asher is charged with assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the November 2009 arrest of Melvin Jones III of Springfield.

Jones was beaten unconscious, blinded in one eye and sent to the hospital with broken bones and teeth.

The arrest was caught on video by a civilian.

Opening arguments started Wednesday in Chicopee District Court with the prosecutor saying Asher used unreasonable force on a man who was not resisting.

Asher's attorney said his client responded appropriately against a perceived danger.

Asher, who was fired in October, 2010, has pleaded not guilty.

(Copyright (c) 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)