FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – One of two Broward Sheriff's Office deputies accused of slamming a man to the pavement last year pleaded not guilty to felony battery and falsifying police reports.
Tuesday marked Justin Lambert's first appearance in court stemming from the incident that was captured on surveillance video last year at a gas station in Deerfield Beach.
Recommended Videos
Surveillance video from February 2014 shows Lambert and Deputy Mike Manresa slam David Gonzalez to the ground before his arrest on a charge of resisting arrest. The charge was dropped after the surveillance video surfaced.
Gonzalez suffered a broken orbital socket and other facial injuries, his attorneys said.
The BSO previously stated that the deputies' actions were justified, but Gonzalez denied raising his hands at them during a February interview with Local 10 News investigative reporter Bob Norman.
Lambert was initially charged with simple battery, but the state attorney's office agreed to review the case again because of the severity of Gonzalez's injuries.
Lambert is currently suspended without pay.
His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 21.
Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10