Trial of former Hollywood police officer accused of slapping handcuffed suspect continues

MIAMI - The trial for former Hollywood Police officer Matthew Barbieri continued Tuesday with three witnesses called to the stand.

Barbieri is facing battery charges after he was caught on camera striking a handcuffed suspect.  

We heard from a former lieutenant and two Hollywood police officers who were there the night of the incident.

According to police reports, on August 6th, 2019, officer Barbieri and his partner responded to the Hollywood home for a domestic disturbance.  

The victim, Raymond Schachner, who took the stand last week said he was naked in his bathroom with drugs when police arrived.  

Barbieri claims when he went inside, he saw Schachner screaming and acting erratically.  

He says Schachner then lunged at him as he was trying to preserve evidence. That's when prosecutors say surveillance video captured Barbieri striking the victim twice even though he was handcuffed.  

When other officers arrived on scene, they testified they heard screaming from inside the home.

"I could hear him yelling at the subject. It was obvious he was under the influence of something. He's not going to respond to yelling.  Most people don't respond to that," says Ryan Barclay, a Hollywood Police Officer.

Prosecuting attorneys have three more witnesses including the victim, Raymond Schachner.  

He was set to undergo cross-examination on Monday, but the trial came to a halt when state attorneys asked the media to leave, saying there was sensitive information they didn't want released to the public.  

That request was later withdrawn.