Second, he'd used physical force on a person who wasn't resisting and had committed zero crimes—that's assault.
Third, he'd violated a citizen's civil rights under color of law—that's a federal offense.
Officer Brew was arrested and charged with assault, trespassing, and civil rights violations. The man who'd put Herman Robinson in handcuffs was now wearing handcuffs himself.
The criminal trial moved swiftly. The body camera footage was played for the jury. There was no wiggle room, no way to spin it, no way to claim Herman had been aggressive or threatening, and no way to argue Officer Brew had legitimate grounds to be on that property. The video laid it all bare.
The jury found Officer Steven Brew guilty on every single charge. The judge sentenced him to 18 months in state prison. He'd serve his time in a minimum-security facility, but make no mistake, he'd still be behind bars. A man who'd spent nine years locking other people up was about to experience incarceration from the other side.
But the criminal case was only half the story. The civil lawsuit was still looming.
Herman Robinson didn't want a quick settlement. He refused to take a check and disappear quietly into the background. He wanted his day in court. He wanted a jury to witness what had happened to him and decide what that experience was truly worth.
The civil trial began 6 months after the criminal trial wrapped up. Herman's legal team, which included his former colleague Carlos Davis, who came out of retirement specifically for this case, delivered a devastating presentation. They screened the body camera footage. They brought in witnesses, including the neighbor who'd seen everything unfold in real time. They brought in expert witnesses who testified about the profound, long-term psychological effects of experiencing racial profiling and false arrest.