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Still No Verdict at the trial of Buffalo Police Officer Accused of Excessive Force

The jury has deliberated 19 hours over five days at the federal court trial of officer Corey Krug, who faces prison if convicted of violating the civil rights of three men

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A federal court jury retired for the evening on Thursday without reaching a verdict in the trial of a Buffalo police officer accused of using excessive force.

Officer Corey Krug faces three counts of deprivation of civil rights and one count of falsifying a report in relation to three separate incidents in 2010, 2011 and 2014.

After hearing the testimony of 22 witnesses during the three-week-long trial, jurors have now deliberated for 19 hours over the course of 5 days.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Arcara told the eight woman, four-man panel to return to court at 8:45 Friday morning to resume their deliberations.

Before they head back into the jury room, however, they will first have read back to them, per their request, the testimony of Bryant Munoz.

Munoz had testified to witnessing an encounter between officer Krug and Devin Ford of Lackawanna, which occurred during the early morning hours of Thanksgiving 2014 on Chippewa Street.

Krug had also been named in three civil rights lawsuits since 2010.

However, it was the incident with Ford, outside a nightclub, which sparked the investigation which leads to the criminal charges for which he now stands trial.

The encounter, captured by a television news photographer, shows Krug striking Ford repeatedly with a nightstick after pushing him against a car and forcefully taking him to the ground.

The video shows Krug pushing his knee into Ford's chest while using the nightstick to strike him in the legs before fellow officers pull Krug away.

RELATED: Opening statements made in BPD officer trial

Prosecutors, in their opening statements, said that in each instance Krug used excessive force, hitting three men with either his nightstick or flashlight, causing physical injury and that none of them fought back.

They described him as "a bully with a badge."

Krug is an 18 year veteran of the BPD, who had been honored by the department several times, including once for pulling a person from a burning car.

He faces up to 10 years behind bars if convicted.

Krug has been suspended from his job, with pay, since being indicted in August 2015.

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