Prosecutor: Cop destroyed woman's phone, lied about stop

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Prosecutor: Cop destroyed woman's phone, lied about stop

Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press

Updated 4:42 pm, Thursday, May 19, 2016

READING, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania police officer lied about the reason behind a traffic stop, then smashed the motorist's cellphone and punched her in the face after pulling her over without sufficient cause, prosecutors said.

Reading Officer Jesus Santiago-DeJesus, 27, turned himself in and was arraigned Thursday on charges that include official oppression and evidence tampering. He was charged a day earlier after the Berks County district attorney's office reviewed surveillance video of the early-April altercation.

Santiago-DeJesus declined to comment after his arraignment, but his lawyer, Allan Sodomsky, rejected the charges, saying the stop was good and the motorist had assaulted the officer first.

"He's very upset, and his family is very embarrassed, that he's even involved in any type of an allegation," Sodomsky said.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/DA-Officer-destroyed-woman-s-phone-lied-about-7700736.php

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Officer Jesus De-Jesus, left [/center]

[cstanleytech]

1. Well I finally found the video online since I didnt see one at the link

(could be due to one of the extensions I have installed which only permits javascript to be run on a page only after I authorize it) and I have to say that the charges against the officer look warranted and I hope he wont be an officer to much longer.

[scscholar]

2. Cop targeted because of his race?

This normally wouldn't be enough to get a cop in trouble.

[tom_kelly]

3. The jury better take into consideration

the fact that he's very upset, and that his family is embarassed!