Yet another video has surfaced that shows police officers abusing an unarmed civilian, according to an article released by the Associate Press on Oct. 25.
The San Jose Mercury News posted the video late Saturday. It vaguely shows more than one San Jose police officer repeatedly using a baton and a Taser on Phuong Ho, a 20-year-old SJSU math major.
According to an article by San Jose Mercury News reporter Sean Webby, the event occurred Sept. 3, when the police officers were called to the apartment where Ho and his roommates live.
The case is similar to the 2009 New Year’s Day shooting of unarmed victim Oscar Grant by Oakland BART police officer, Johannes Mehserle.
Several witnesses in this case captured the killing of Grant on video, and later came forward with the evidence.
Like Ho’s case, cell phone video footage has played a key role in the investigation.
A video was recorded without the knowledge of the San Jose officers by Dimitri Masouris, one of Ho’s roommates.
Acts of violence involving police officers and unarmed minorities are increasing.
Roger Clark was one person interviewed by Webby said, “It takes me back to the day I saw the Rodney King video on TV.”
Yesterday, members of the Vietnamese community protested against the officers. The event was peaceful, and I’m happy the protest didn’t break out in riots like the ones experienced in L.A. in 1992.
I was raised to distrust police officers, but that was because my father was one, and so were all three of my uncles.
I have experienced firsthand racial profiling.
According to recent articles, the San Jose Police Department has a history of racial profiling — specifically of Latinos in the downtown area.
It seems San Jose police may have changed their target.
Alicia Johnson
-Staff Writer
1 Comment
November 14, 2009 at 1:33 am
How is this similar to the Oscar Grant situation? The video shows a male on the ground who is being ordered to turn over and place his hands behind his back. The male is not complying. The officers used force. Not that uncommon no matter where you live or what skin color you are. Writers such as Sean Webby are just looking for ways to make police officers look bad.