11 head punches, a knee on the head: South Florida cop charged with aggravated battery
A trespassing arrest made by a West Palm Beach police officer in November 2019 turned into the officer’s own arrest Tuesday on an aggravated battery charge, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced Wednesday.
Online court records say Officer Nicholas Lordi, 34, posted $5,000 bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit written by FDLE Special Agent Lisa Lamey, what Lordi told investigators wasn’t what they saw on video, and what they saw on video wasn’t acceptable: Lordi punching then-63-year-old John Monroque a total of 11 times in the head and face and, later, kneeling on the suspect’s head for 14 seconds as he was handcuffed on the ground.
That was about two minutes, 40 seconds after Monroque had been handcuffed and motionless for 47 seconds.
The affidavit says, in May 2020, the West Palm Beach Police Department asked the FDLE to look into what happened on Nov. 1, 2019, at the Food Plus Food Store, 5501 Broadway after a surveillance camera video lasting 9:30 posted to Instagram.
The police department could not be immediately reached for comment on what internal discipline Lordi faces.
“Officer Lordi is a good police officer, well respected, hard working,” said Lordi’s attorney, Michael Salnick of Salnick & Fuchs. “He has also served our country well with two tours in Afghanistan. He will enter a plea of not guilty to the charge. It is unfortunate that the FDLE has to publicize accusations before any court or jury has had the chance to determine what actually happened here. Mr. Lordi will have his day in court.”
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Punches and knees
The probable cause affidavit says FDLE investigators used the aforementioned surveillance video and the bodycams of Lordi and fellow West Palm officer Jamesloo Charles.
According to the affidavit:
The officers were called to the store, where, Lordi said, management said Monroque was loitering, drunk and refusing to leave. Charles went back to the cruiser to check out Monroque’s identification, while Lordi talked with Monroque for about 90 seconds. Then, Lordi walked to Monroque with his right hand up, put his arms around Monroque’s waist, took Monroque to the hood of Charles’ car and “pushed Monroque’s head onto the hood of the car.”
Monroque then tried to prevent himself from being handcuffed. During the scuffle, Lordi “pulled Monroque backward, onto the ground.”
“While on the ground and while Ofc. Lordi was lying on his back with Monroque also lying on his back and partially on top of Ofc. Lordi, Ofc. Lordi struck Monroque in the area of Monroque’s head and face, with the closed fist of his left hand approximately six times” while keeping a right arm headlock on Monroque.
The affidavit notes Monroque wasn’t hitting Lordi and his hands weren’t under his body.
Lordi “then rolled and mounted Monroque, who was lying on the ground, on his stomach, with his left hand in front of his face. Ofc. Lordi struck Monroque approximately five additional times in the area of Monroque’s head and face using the closed fists of both his right and left hands.”
The affidavit says an “unidentified individual” stopped Lordi from punching Monroque. Charles handcuffed Monroque, who didn’t move for 47 seconds.
About 2:40 later, with Monrqoue still handcuffed on the ground, Lordi “could be heard telling Monroque to ‘stop spitting’ and ‘stop your s---, man, just stop.’”
Then, Lordi put his right knee on Monroque’s head, “holding Monroque’s head against the ground for approximately 14 seconds.”
St. Mary’s Medical Center medical records say Monroque received a closed fracture of the nose.
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How Officer Nicholas Lordi described the encounter
In a July 2020 deposition, Lordi said Monroque was “disrespectful” to him and Charles and he took Monroque down during the struggle because Monroque started grabbing for Charles’ ammunition.
But when Lordi said Monroque had been “laying on his hands” and refused to put his hands behind the back, the affidavit says the video shows Monroque’s hands above his body. Also, Lordi skipped the part about punching Monroque after pulling Monroque down and while he was in a headlock.
He did mention the later punches, but described them as “a few softening strikes.” And, after Monroque was handcuffed, “No more force was needed. No more force was used.”
This, the affidavit noted, skips video footage showing Lordi kneeling on Monroque’s head.
