After being taken to his sister’s home by police later that night, he called the Montgomery Regional Dispatch Center to complain that he’d been injured by officers. A police sergeant followed up with Binegar, who said an officer “opened the door of a cruiser and began to punch him repeatedly in the head and face with a closed fist,” according to an incident report filed Feb. 4.
Binegar added that he had injuries to his hands “from blocking the blows,” and also knots on his head that would require him to shave his hair off in order for police to see, the incident report stated.
The sergeant reviewed cruiser cam video of the incident, which showed Binegar laying across the hood of the cruiser as he is patted down by an officer. He does not appear to be forced against the cruiser. Then the cruiser door is opened and Binegar is seated in the back seat. Once the officer closes the door, Binegar is seen in the video striking the cruiser partition window six times with his left fist and yelling. When an officer questions Binegar about why his knuckles are bloody later, Binegar tells him he hurt it striking the window.
After speaking with Binegar on the phone Feb. 4 where he reportedly repeated the same account, that he was assaulted in the back of the cruiser, and informing him that the cruiser video showed otherwise, Binegar reportedly changed his story to indicate the assault happened outside the car. However, the sergeant told Binegar he’d be charged with making a false allegation of police misconduct, a misdemeanor.
The case was forwarded to the Dayton prosecutor’s office. No court date has been set. Binegar could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
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