4 California cops on leave after student beating

Oct. 26, 2009 | AP

San Jose police say four officers present at the beating of an unarmed student have been placed on leave.

A cell phone video shows police repeatedly hitting 20-year-old Phuong Ho in the Sept. 3 incident. The video prompted a criminal investigation.

San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis says officers Kenneth Siegel, Steven Payne Jr., Jerome Smith and Gabriel Reyes have been placed on paid leave.

Police reports say Siegel used his baton and Payne used his Taser as Ho kicked and refused to heed orders.

Siegel's attorney, Terry Bowman, says the video leaves out details that would show why the officers acted as they did.

---

Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join our community: Like KPCC on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get updates and talk about the day's news with other fans.

blog comments powered by Disqus