Former Antioch Police Officer Acquitted of Assaulting Handcuffed Man

In a swift verdict, a Contra Costa jury has acquitted former Antioch police officer Matthew Nutt of a misdemeanor assault charge. The charge stemmed from an incident in July 2022, where Nutt was captured on video punching and kicking Terry Robinson, a handcuffed man. The jury deliberated for just a few hours before reaching their decision.

The video evidence presented during the trial showed Nutt striking Robinson 16 times within a span of 32 seconds. The incident occurred after Nutt had placed Robinson in handcuffs and was attempting to place him into a police SUV. The defense argued that Robinson was actively resisting arrest for a shooting in Santa Cruz, while the prosecution contended that he was being pinned by the police in the vehicle’s doorway.

Nutt’s defense attorney, Nicole Pifari, maintained that her client was merely doing his job and that Robinson’s large size and potential for violence justified the use of force. Pifari also highlighted that Robinson was uninjured and that he and Nutt had exchanged pleasantries after the incident. Nutt himself testified, explaining that he had carefully considered various force options before deciding to use blows to Robinson’s stomach instead of pepper spray, a stun gun, or a baton.

It was revealed that Nutt had downplayed the number of times he struck Robinson in a police report filed seven weeks later, although he claimed it was unintentional. Last year, Nutt was fired from the Antioch Police Department for multiple policy violations related to the beating.

The internal affairs investigation into Nutt’s actions was initiated by then-Sgt. Joshua Evans, who later lost his job due to his involvement in sending racist texts to colleagues. Evans, upon reviewing the video evidence, expressed concerns about the incident, leading to the internal affairs probe.

Terry Robinson, the victim in this case, has since joined a class action lawsuit against the Antioch police force. The department has faced ongoing scrutiny for multiple scandals involving racist, homophobic, and sexist texts, as well as alleged crimes committed by former officers.

Robinson himself was later convicted in connection with the Santa Cruz County shooting and received a jail sentence. In an interview with KTVU, he expressed gratitude for surviving the encounter with Nutt.

While this case shares a similar timeline with a larger scandal involving 14 East Contra Costa law enforcement officers facing charges, it is important to note that Nutt was not implicated in those allegations, which include accusations of violent civil rights violations by three officers.