The trial of Hamail Waddell, whose arrest by a Binghamton police officer was deemed an excessive use of force by the New York attorney general’s office, wrapped up last week.
Earlier this year, a report by the attorney general’s Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office found Officer Brad Kaczynski used excessive force during Waddell’s 2023 arrest, kneeling on his neck while he was handcuffed and face down on the sidewalk.
The arrest, captured in videos spread on social media, sparked community backlash and protests. The city of Binghamton refuted the report, arguing it did not accurately capture the incident or the subsequent internal investigation.
Waddell is facing misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest stemming from the incident. He declined a plea deal last year.
Last Thursday, lawyers made their closing arguments before a Binghamton judge. The bench trial did not include a jury, meaning the judge will deliver the verdict.
The arrest took place in the early hours of New Year’s Day, after several fights broke out in front of a downtown Binghamton bar. According to reporting from WIVT, Waddell’s defense attorney argued the police officers targeted Waddell, who is Black, and that he was attempting to break up a fight.
Waddell’s attorney also argued the charges should be dismissed because Kacyznski was unable to testify due to a serious medical injury.
Waddell and several other police officers did testify in court during the two-day trial.
In his closing arguments, Broome County District Attorney Paul Battisti replayed footage of the arrest, arguing it shows Waddell admitting to throwing a punch and being disorderly.
The judge is expected to release a verdict in the case on October 29.
