ORLANDO, Fla. – Police say they thought the accused killer of a Florida police lieutenant was hiding a gun in his waistband and feared for their safety as he crawled toward them following a weeklong manhunt.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that in 847 pages of court documents released Thursday, police officers revealed they thought 41-year-old Markeith Loyd wouldn't be taken into custody without a fight.
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The document show officers punched Loyd four times, kicked him five times and hit him with their rifles up to another five times before he was dragged to a cruiser and put in handcuffs belonging to Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton.
Orange County Sheriff's Office helicopter video panned away as Loyd approached officers during his Jan. 17 arrest. Loyd repeatedly shouted, "They beat me up" to reporters as he was taken Orlando Police Department headquarters that night.
Injuries sustained during the arrest left Loyd blind in one eye. A resisting arrest charge against Loyd was dropped on April 28.
Loyd is accused of killing Clayton in January and his pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon in December.
The officers involved are still under a pending use-of-force investigation.