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Inkster police chief resigns days after officer charged for assault, misconduct

Inkster Police Chief Vicki Yost resigned Wednesday. The Inkster Police Department came under scrutiny in late-March after a dash-cam video made public showed Police Officer William Melendez brutally arresting 57-year-old Floyd Dent of Detroit on Jan. 28.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the Inkster Police Department didn’t supply a representative of her office with the brutal arrest footage until March 17, and she didn’t become aware of it until a media report March 23.

The footage prompted an Inkster district judge to dismiss a charge of resisting and assaulting a police officer for lack of evidence. Worthy announced her intent to dismiss the remaining charge against Dent, felony possession of cocaine, at a press conference Monday.

At the same time she announced charges against Melendez, including misconduct in office-mistreatment of a prisoner, punishable by up to five years in prison; and assault with intent to do great bodily harm, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Yost told MLive she retired early from the Detroit Police Department and accepted the role as chief in Inkster in October. Both Yost and Melendez worked together previously at the Detroit Police Department. Despite sending emails and making multiple calls, MLive Detroit could not reach Marsh or any elected members of Inkster City Council for comment Wednesday evening.