Man testifies against officer on trial for assault

<p>A man who says a Rockville Center police officer attacked him and his brother took the stand Monday in the officer's trial.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jan 29, 2018, 10:46 PM

Updated 2,414 days ago

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Man testifies against officer on trial for assault
A man who says a Rockville Center police officer attacked him and his brother took the stand Monday in the officer's trial.
Officer Anthony Federico is facing a flew of charges, including felony assault. Prosecutors say he acted inappropriately when responding to a street fight, and allegedly struck Kevin Kavanagh in the head. Kavanagh suffered a bloody wound.
Prosecutors say Federico also falsified paperwork to say Kavanagh suffered the wound from the street fight, but a witness' cellphone video shows him striking Kavanagh while he's in the fetal position.
In court today, Kavanagh said that he blacked out after a night of drinking and taking cocaine. He said he couldn't remember much of what happened until he was in a police car.
Federico's attorney believes a judge will rule in his client's favor. "This is a great police officer who acted appropriately reasonably and justifiably to an extremely dangerous situation," says attorney William Petrillo.
Petrillo adds that his client has support from law enforcement agencies around the country.
In addition to the criminal case, Kevin Kavanagh has also filed a $5 million civil suit. The trial continues tomorrow,  when Kavanagh's brother Brendan is expected to take the stand.