
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, October 18, 1994                   TAG: 9410180105
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

POLICE ACCUSER DROPS APPEAL

A Roanoke man who claimed police used excessive force in arresting him has decided not to appeal his conviction of impeding police.

Leonard Davidson had been scheduled for a trial Monday in Roanoke Circuit Court, but the appeal was withdrawn at his request, according to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom.

That means Davidson's earlier conviction and sentence from a judge in General District Court - a $500 fine and a suspended 90-day jail sentence - will stand.

Davidson has claimed that he was injured by police during a scuffle April 16, when he was arrested on a charge of being drunk in public. Davidson was in the hospital for 19 days after suffering a dislocated knee, but police testified he was hurt accidentally when they tackled him after he broke away and fled.

A police investigation found that no excessive force was used, and Judge John Apostolou said in a July hearing that Davidson was "clearly guilty" of impeding police.

by CNB