A white former police officer from suburban Detroit must stand trial for assault and other charges in the videotaped beating of a black motorist in January, Reuters reported a judge ruling on Thursday. William Melendez was fired from the police force in the Detroit suburb of Inkster after he was filmed punching Floyd Dent, in one of a number of cases that has fueled national debate on race and policing. Dent testified at a preliminary hearing in criminal court on Thursday, a day after he reached a $1.4 million settlement in his civil lawsuit against the city of Inkster. -- SPA 23:55 LOCAL TIME 20:55 GMT تغريد