PHILADELPHIA - Deliberations in the trial of Richard Nicoletti, a former Philadelphia SWAT officer who was captured on video pepper spraying protesters from close range during the 2020 George Floyd unrest, will continue with an 11 member jury panel on Monday.Nicoletti is facing charges of possession of an instrument of crime, three counts of simple assault, reckless endangerment, and official oppression.
A video of Nicoletti dressed in riot gear approaching three protesters kneeling on Interstate 676 on June 1, 2020, pulling down at least one protester's mask or goggles, then pepper-spraying them, was circulated widely on social media and was included in several news stories about the national police response to demonstrations.The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office alleged that Nicoletti assaulted the protesters nearly three years ago.
His defense, meanwhile, claims the disgraced officer was doing his job. Closing arguments in the trial were made on Thursday, after which a jury began its deliberation.
Those deliberations will continue into next week after the jury failed to reach a decision on Friday. The jury twice returned to the courtroom on Friday without a decision, despite a judge providing them with further instructions to try to motivate the jury to work together to reach a consensus.