HOUSTON -- A medical examiner's testimony contradicted two Pasadena police officers on trial for an inmate's death, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.

Jason Buckaloo and Christopher Jones are charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of Pedro Gonzales Jr., 51, after his arrest on July 22.

Gonzales was found dead in his cell at the Pasadena Police Department about five hours after Buckaloo and Jones arrested him for drunkenness.

They admitted using knee and elbow strikes to subdue Gonzales. But their attorney said the force they used was not excessive.

"He had a number of old broken ribs. He had 10 healed rib fractures previously. If you're someone susceptible to that type injury and you choose to get in fight with police, that might be the consequence," defense attorney Gregory Cagle said.

Gonzales fought a losing fight with alcoholism most of his life.

After his death, his underweight body showed classic signs of alcohol abuse -- chronic liver disease, pancreatitis, and brittle bones.

But that's not what killed him, according to asst. medical examiner Merrill Hines.

Hines' autopsy showed Gonzales died from at least six blows to his back -- blows that broke eight of his 12 ribs and punctured his lung.

"I have no doubt the injuries he sustained, particularly injuries to his back, led directly to his death," Hines said.

"It depends on all the circumstances and that the evidence we're putting before the jury is as much of the circumstances as we are able to within the rules of evidence as to what happened," prosecutor Joe Owmby said.

Hines was the final prosecution witness before the state rested its case Thursday.

The officers have been relieved of duty, pending the jury's verdict. If convicted, the officers could face up to two years in jail.