Dover police officer Thomas Webster IV was acquitted of felony assault and misdemeanor assault charges today after kicking Lateef Dickerson, a black man, in the head so hard that it broke his jaw during a 2013 arrest. According to local Fox affiliate Fox 29:

Jurors deliberated for about 16 hours over three days before acquitting Dover police officer Thomas Webster IV of felony assault and misdemeanor assault.

Webster testified he didn't intend to kick Lateef Dickerson in the head in August 2013 and instead was aiming for his upper body. Webster also said he feared for the safety of himself and others because officers were told Dickerson was armed with a gun, and Dickerson was slow to comply with repeated commands to get on the ground.

Prosecutors argued Webster acted recklessly and used excessive force. ...

Defense attorney James Liguori told jurors Friday in his closing argument that Webster had only seconds to act after Dickerson, who ran from another officer responding to a fight involving a large group of people, repeatedly ignored commands by Webster and another officer, Christopher Hermance, to get on the ground.

"These split-second decisions and judgments ... not only were they justifiable, they were, in fact, necessary," Liguori said.