Trial begins in case of alleged deputy attack
BROOKSVILLE –
“Over a noise complaint, over a noise complaint,” repeated defense attorney Stephen Romine in a hushed but firm voice during opening statements Tuesday afternoon, showing a photo of his client with a bloody face and missing eyeball.
Romine’s client, Michael Bratt, is on trial for a 2009 felony battery on a law enforcement charge and two additional battery charges on an officer.
The majority of the first day of Bratt’s trial was dedicated to jury selection.
Prospective jurors read Jodi Picualt novels or talked shop in between questioning, much of which had to do with preconceived notions of the behavior and integrity of law enforcement, as well as whether spitting should be considered battery.
Seven Hernando County women were ultimately selected to serve.
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Assistant State Attorney Donald Lewis recreated the early-hour events of Dec. 26. Deputy Steven George was working the midnight shift when he was sent out to 22315 Snow Hill Road in Brooksville to investigate a noise complaint in the rural neighborhood.
Lewis said Michael Bratt wasn’t “terribly thrilled” when George stepped over their 4-foot fence, and knocked on his door around 2 a.m., and that he yelled that the deputy was trespassing on his property.
Bratt’s wife, Marjorie Youmans, wasn’t happy about the deputy’s presence either.
George said he saw Bratt shove his wife when she approached the door.
Lewis said it was about this time when Bratt pulled George into his home and slammed him face-first into a coffee table, breaking his nose.
Lewis said the deputy, who was 24 years old at the time, radioed for help, saying he needed EMS for his broken nose.
Bratt grabbed George’s Taser and gave the deputy a “dry stun,” according to Lewis, and the men struggled for George’s gun for about eight minutes on the floor.
According to Lewis, a responding deputy found Bratt and George at the coffee table, “pretty much gasping for air.”
Bratt continued to fight back, according to Lewis, attempting to bite an officer, spit at him and kick out a cruiser’s windshield.
In the back of a police cruiser, Bratt “work(ed) up mucus into his mouth, and spit through the cage,” Lewis said.
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During the defense’s opening statements, Romine presented two family photos taken of Bratt and his family just hours before the noise complaint and subsequent ordeal.
“What they told you isn’t exactly what the evidence shows,” Romine said. “I want to take you to the end first … why officers had to come up with a reason to explain what they did to him.”
Romine then showed the jury a photo of Bratt lying in the grass, blood all over his face. Bratt appears to only have one eyeball, and Romine explained the missing eye had sunk down into his cheek.
Romine explained law enforcement had been called out to Bratt’s residence due to a noise complaint, but that George called for backup before arriving on scene. George bypassed a call box outside of Bratt’s house, jumped over his fence “in the middle of the night, not alerting people he’s coming.”
Bratt was cleaning up from the Christmas party, and was worried when he heard a knock. Romine said George flashed his badge “real quick,” but didn’t really respond why he was at the door, and held his hand on his pistol.
Bratt didn’t batter his wife, Romine said, but stopped her from charging at the officer.
And Bratt didn’t slam George into the table, but the momentum from holding him back coupled with a Taser jolt to Bratt caused the deputy to come crashing through the door.
Bratt was taken outside and roughed up, Romine said. EMS were instructed to treat Deputy George’s broken nose, Romine said, not the man with the sunken eyeball.
“People get the big lie right,” Romine said, adding the multiple sworn statements from law enforcement officers don’t match up. “They’re not consistent, and it doesn’t make sense.”
The trial is expected to continue through Friday.
