Orlando officer convicted of kneeing man in cell

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A former Orlando police officer has been found guilty of felony battery for kneeing a man in a holding cell, causing his spleen to rupture.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that jurors deliberated for an hour and a half Wednesday before returning the guilty verdict for 32-year-old Peter Delio. His sentencing was set for Nov. 9.

Delio's defense attorney, David Bigney, says he was worried Delio wouldn't get a fair trial, given the public's current attitude toward police officers.

The case started when Robert Liese was arrested after he failed to pay a $60 bar tab.

Investigators say Liese was apparently drunk and broke a glass window on his cell door. Delio came into the cell and kneed him in the abdomen.