SPOKANE, Wash. — It is now day 2 of the criminal trial involving former Spokane County sergeant, Clay Hilton. He’s charged with second degree assault from a violent altercation in 2023 while he was arresting 62-year-old Kevin Hinton, who was parked outside of Terrace View Park after it was closed.
Two witnesses testified, including Hinton himself, and former Spokane County Lieutenant Richard Gere, who reviewed the “use of force” incident report filed.
He told the court he now believes the report contains inaccuracies, saying some punches and knee kicks from Hilton striking Hinton, were left out of the documentation.
He was asked questions about the deputy’s use-of-force report and testified that some of the strikes made from Hilton were “excessive and unnecessary.”
After reviewing the body camera footage pulled from former deputy Hilton, he also said, “now I’m concerned…I’m concerned about this whole incident”, Gere said.
Gere later classified some of Hilton’s strikes as “level one controlled tactics” that he considered reasonable because Hilton believed that Hinton had a knife in the car at the time of his arrest.
Hilton’s attorneys argued that belief gave Hilton “reasonable suspicion” to carry out the arrest.
Hinton took the witness stand and told the court he was not under the influence at the time of his arrest. However, Hilton’s lawyers said that Hinton later told a medic the night of his arrest that he had consumed marijuana.
Body camera footage from former Deputy Hilton, shown in court, captured Hilton asking Hinton for his identification twice before placing him under arrest.
Hinton testified he did not have his wallet in the vehicle that night. Hilton’s lawyer’s argued Hinton did have his identification on him at the time.
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