MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A Martin County sergeant who was charged with battery against a wheelchair-bound inmate is now back to work at the county jail.
The state attorney's office dropped the charges against Stephen Piekara last week.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Steve Gosnell said they could no longer in good faith continue to prosecute the case.
"A prosecutor can't go in and prosecute a case if we think that at this point things have changed significantly from day one," Gosnell said.
Piekara was accused of pushing the inmate, knocking him from his chair, then hitting him three times, which led to Piekara's arrest in late June 2021.
The inmate suffered three contusions to the head and had to be treated at the correction's medical unit, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
"When you think about you had a fight with a guy in a wheelchair, I mean, I can see where it doesn't appear as though it's a fair or obvious situation where you'd use force," Rick King, criminal defense attorney for Piekara, said.
But King said the inmate had a history of battery against a law enforcement officer, which could have given Piekara a reason to use force if the inmate came at Piekara in his chair.
Through the progression of prosecuting the case, Piekara's attorney, Rick King, said it was logical to believe that the inmate fell from his chair because he grabbed his wheel, not solely because of Piekara's actions.
In the area of the medical wing where Piekara allegedly punched the inmate, cameras did not capture the encounter. Because of that, the state would have to rely heavily on witness testimony. Any claims of excessive force would be tougher to prove.
But Gosnell said key witness testimonies changed. The inmate could not remember what happened. A law enforcement officer who was a witness had conflicting statements, according to Gosnell.
"The deputy adamantly denied making any strikes and there were some conflicting testimonies as to whether that occurred or not," King said.
Gosnell said the state dropped the charges just as Piekara was prepared to argue a stand-your-ground defense. Use of force experts hired by both the state and defense agreed it was reasonable to believe Piekara had concern for his well-being.
"In the stand your ground motion, they're arguing that the officer had the right to use self-defense because the inmate was swinging at him … so he had the right to stand his ground and use force back," Gosnell said.
Piekara, whose base salary is $73,871, was on unpaid leave following his arrest.
A representative for the police union said it’s likely they will argue he deserves backpay for the time he was on unpaid leave, pending the results of an ongoing internal affairs investigation.
"He understands the nature of the business. He clearly didn't want to be arrested and go through all this, but he's dedicated to the profession, his craft, and he's looking forward to getting back," King said.