10/26/09
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 with a metal baton and shocking him with a Taser gun in the Sept. 3 incident.
The video was posted Saturday by the San Jose Mercury News, prompting a criminal investigation into the beating. 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 their orders.
Siegel’s attorney, Terry Bowman, says the video leaves out details that would show why the officers acted as they did.
