Meriden Police Officer Evan Cossette had nothing to say to the media after he was found guilty of brutality and obstruction of justice Monday afternoon in New Haven Federal Court.
There was also no comment from his father, Meriden Police Chief Jeffry Cossette, or the rest of his family on hand.
However, several family members were in tears as the verdict was read. Cossette now faces up to 30 years in prison.
After the smoke cleared, Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde discussed the verdict at city hall.
“I really felt this could go either way. If you took a poll, you’d probably get a pretty even split as to whether he should be (found) guilty or found innocent. So the jury made that decision based on the evidence and that’s the end of the story,” said Rohde.
The evidence centered on a May 2010 video that shows Officer Cossette escorting Pedro Temich through a garage and into a jail cell after his arrest.
Cossette clearly pushes Temich, who was handcuffed and fell, cutting his head so badly he needed 12 staples.
The question for the jury: whether Cossette was acting in self-defense, as he claimed during his testimony on Friday.
The jury decided he was not. That means Cossette, who has been on paid leave, will face a hearing Friday, at which the city manager and personnel director will determine his status with the police department going forward.
“(The) full expectation is that he will be terminated given the jury’s determined a felony in the situation,” said Mayor Rohde.