East Cleveland Police Officers

Former East Cleveland police officers Denayne Davidson-Dixon, left, and Gerald Spencer II pleaded guilty Monday, the day their trial in the July beating of a prisoner in their custody was set to begin.

(Cuyahoga Count Sheriff's Department)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two now-former East Cleveland police officers pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting a prisoner in their custody last summer in what prosecutors say was a botched plan to fight during an unauthorized stop at a park.

Denayne Davidson-Dixon and Gerald Spencer II were set to face trial Monday on felonious assault, kidnapping, conspiracy, obstructing official business, interference with civil rights and dereliction of duty charges.

Instead the duo struck a plea deal with prosecutors that saw the most serious charges dropped.

Davidson-Dixon pleaded guilty to attempted felonious assault, obstruction of justice and a weapons violation, which are felonies, as well as misdemeanor charges of interfering with civil rights.

Spencer pleaded guilty to interfering with civil rights and dereliction of duty, both misdemeanors. He had agreed to testify against Davidson-Dixon had the case went to trial, prosecutors say.

Judge Nancy Fuerst will sentence Davidson-Dixon on May 22, and Spencer on May 24.

The officers were fired from the force in July after Jesse Nickerson said the pair drove him to Forest Hills Park and beat him after they arrested him. A grand jury charged them in September.

The officers arrested Nickerson and two other men while investigating a robbery. The officers said they found a handgun during a traffic stop in the car the men were in, and arrested Nickerson.

The report of the incident, written by Davidson-Dixon, says that Nickerson was uncooperative during his arrest, and that the officers took Nickerson straight to the East Cleveland Police Department.

But prosecutors were prepared to prove at trial that Davidson-Dixon hatched up a plot for the officers to fight Nickerson and took him to Forest Hill Park, where Davidson-Dixon ordered him out of the car and ordered Spencer to remove his handcuffs.

Nickerson ran away from the officers as soon as his handcuffs were off, prosecutors say. Davidson-Dixon and Spencer caught up with him, and Nickers was injured during the violent encounter.

Nickerson was charged with receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, carrying a concealed weapon and having weapons while under disability in the incident, but those charges were dropped in August.

Davidson-Dixon was charged last month with trying to interfere in his trial by intimidating and coercing Nickerson not to testify against him.

That indictment accused in late February and early March that Nickerson should not testify against him at his upcoming trial, according to court records. Davidson-Dixon also approached Nickerson on the street while Davidson-Dixon was carrying a firearm and demanded to know if Nickerson was going to testify, records say.

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Update: This post was updated with information from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.