Florida police officer arrested on excessive force charges

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A white Florida police officer has been charged with aggravated battery during the arrest of a Black man accused of trespassing outside a grocery store. West Palm Beach Officer Nicholas Lordi turned himself in at the county jail Tuesday night and bonded out Wednesday morning. He’s accused of punching 65-year-old John Monroque multiple times and breaking his nose during the 2019 arrest. Monroque spent 20 days in jail on charges that were ultimately dismissed. He now says he forgives the officer. The South Florida SunSentinel reports that Lordi has been repeatedly disciplined for violating department policies, and was involved in 15 use-of-force incidents in five years.