FALL RIVER — Prosecutors dismissed charges against four former defendants now at the center of a criminal case involving Fall River police officer Michael Pessoa, indicted on 15 counts for allegedly using excessive force and abusing his authority.

“Based on the evidence uncovered during the investigation into Officer Pessoa, there is no legitimate basis upon which to prosecute the cases against these individuals,” said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.

The former defendants were each arrested by Pessoa over a four-year period ending in March 2019. They were charged in Fall River District Court based on allegations in police reports written by Pessoa.

The men became alleged victims in June after a Superior Court grand jury handed up indictments charging Pessoa with 15 felonies, including knowingly filing false reports.

Pessoa stands accused of violating the civil rights of former city residents Luke Raffa and David Lafrance by assaulting them while on the job last winter.

Fall River police opened an internal investigation into Pessoa’s conduct in May after defense attorney Carl Ricci handed officials surveillance footage he said showed Pessoa punching his client, Lafrance, 57, during a Feb. 12 police response to a dispute among neighbors.

In his sworn report of the arrest, Pessoa wrote that he used an approved take-down technique on Lafrance after Lafrance allegedly threatened to punch responding officers, a version of events Ricci said was falsified in order “to cover up what he did to Mr. Lafrance.”

“The video showed that the police officer lied in his report,” said Ricci.

In Raffa’s case, Pessoa wrote in his official report that he believed Raffa suffered a nose bleed when Pessoa “forced” Raffa’s head onto the metal table inside the booking room of the police department.

According to Raffa, Pessoa allegedly slammed his head onto the metal table, causing a wound to open up on his head as well as a concussion, injuries that prompted a supervisor to call for an ambulance to transport Raffa to Charlton Memorial Hospital.

Prosecutors dropped the case Pessoa initiated against Raffa June 26 and dropped charges against Lafrance June 27, the same day Pessoa was arraigned in Superior Court.

On June 25, prosecutors dismissed charges against Aliecer Rodriguez, who was arrested in 2018. Prosecutors allege Pessoa beat Rodriguez and destroyed his cell phone.

Pessoa and former Fall River police officer Andre DeMelo were the defendants in a civil rights lawsuit against the city, settled for $225,000 in the spring, that accused the officers of using excessive force and fracturing the leg of former city resident Carlos Roldan during his 2014 arrest.

According to Roldan’s civil lawsuit, Roldan was injured when officers repeatedly kicked him while he was on the ground.

Roldan was charged with interfering with a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest during his Oct. 6, 2014, encounter with the officers.

Prosecutors dismissed charges Sept. 16, 2016, the same day a hearing was scheduled to address Roldan’s defense attorney’s request to compel the Fall River Police Department to hand over internal records related to potential excessive force investigations involving Pessoa and DeMelo, according to court documents.

Pessoa has been criminally charged with violating Roldan’s civil rights and causing his serious injury. DeMelo resigned from the department the same day as Pessoa’s Superior Court arraignment. Pessoa was released from custody after posting $5,000 bail. He remains on unpaid leave from the department.

Email Amanda Burke at aburke@heraldnews.com.