REXBURG — A battery and resistance case in the Madison County Courthouse quickly turned into a debate about racism and police brutality against blacks on Friday.

A black man and former Brigham Young University-Idaho student complained he’d been targeted by police because of his race. He also claimed he hadn’t intended to injure an officer during a scuffle over a stun gun. A Madison County jury disagreed, and the judge sent the man to jail for 30 days.

Judge Mark Rammell sentenced Antonio Hennix to one year for resisting arrest and to six months in jail for the battery charge.

Rammell suspended that sentence to half that time. Hennix will serve 30 days of that sentence in jail., and the he’ll be placed on probation through March. In the meantime, the court retains jurisdiction for 180 days should he break his probation. The sentence will be suspended once Hennix finishes probation.

“I’ll be blunt with you,” Rammell said. “You actually threw the elbow. You went after Officer Komachi. You had every constitutional right to use the language used. You have the right to feel the system is rigged against blacks. Whatever happened to you in growing up in Philadelphia and moving to Georgia — sad things happened.”

Rammell told Hennix that he had sentenced people of every race in his 24 years on the bench. It was Hennix’s behavior — and not his race — that brought the charges and sentencing, Rammell said.

“I guess I’m a racist because I’ve put thousands of white people in jail,” he said. “I’ve had many of hundreds, if not thousands, of Hispanics, Native Americans, a sheriff, a chief of police, a state senator and lawyers. I don’t discriminate. Skin color isn’t what I’m worried about. Conduct is what I’m worried about.”

Rammell pointed out how increasingly difficult police work has become.

“I wouldn’t want to be a cop for anything right now,” he said. “I would rather peck poop with the chickens than be a cop. It’s tough.”

The trial started with Hennix’ lawyer, Jim Archibald, cautioning white jurors about non-white defendants’ concerns while in court.

“He’s not white. He has a concern (to be tried by a) jury of your peers. He was born and raised in Philadelphia,” Archibald said. “None of you look like you were born and raised in Philadelphia. We need to have six people who are going to be fair.”

Prosecutor Rob Wood countered that the issue wasn’t about race but was instead about evidence.

“You’re going to watch it all. At the end of the day, you won’t have to question what happened. You’re going to know exactly what happened. The officer was battered by Hennix. It is what it is.”

While on the stand Hennix cited alleged police brutality against black men. He said that before the recent incident, “It was kind of inherent to not trust the police because of things that happen every day.”

Hennix was already on probation through March 2017 for a marijuana possession charge when police arrested him for battery and resisting. Just one day after being released on drug charges, Hennix’ apartment complex presented him with an eviction order. The police arrived to ensure Hennix moved out. It wasn’t clear what prompted the eviction notice.

Arresting officers Ryan Komachi and Robert Koller reported Hennix grew increasingly defensive and shoved his cellphone into their faces while also playing the song “F- — tha Police” by the group N.W.A.

Hennix explained he took the photos to protect himself and played the music to take a stand against police violence.

“The song is more of a political statement rather than an attack (on) police officers,” he said.

During the confrontation, Kamachi asked Hennix if he had a weapon, and Hennix responded that he probably did. In the meantime, the apartment manager arrived with the key, and Hennix entered. He turned the lights off, but officers quickly requested that they be turned back on.

“It’s often common for people to produce weapons, and that puts officers in danger of being ambushed,” Kamachi said.

The ensuing fuss prompted officers to ask Hennix if he wanted to go back to jail, that he was being a pain and that he possibly needed a babysitter. Archibald later said this amounted to taunting Hennix, which the officers denied.

In the meantime, the officers called Hennix’s probation officer. Shortly after, Hennix produced the stun gun used as Exhibit 2 during the trial. Kamachi ordered him to drop it.

“Things were deteriorating very quickly and turning into a very bad situation,” he said.

From this point on, Hennix’s and Kamachi’s perspective on what happened during the ensuing scuffle is vastly different.

“I had one hand tied up, and (Hennix) is still attacking me,” Kamachi said. “I forced him over the desk. He cocked his elbow back, and his elbow came right to my chest. I was able to wrap him up at that point. I swung him around, and I had pinned him about this time.”

Hennix said it wasn’t his intent to hit Kamachi.

“My elbow did go back (but it was only) to regain my footing because I was being shoved forward,” Hennix said. “As I was trying to turn around, I had no intent to hit him. I’m not stupid enough to hit a cop.”

Wood asked Hennix about making a political statement via the N.W.A. song.

“Do you think you might have escalated the situation?” Wood asked.

“To them, probably,” Hennix said.

Wood pointed out that Kamachi was of Japanese descent and had possibly experienced discrimination similar to the kind Hennix had alluded to on the stand.

“It doesn’t matter what race he is” Hennix said. “Anti-blackness is in every community and in every nationality and every race.”