San Jose city manager moves to fire cop involved in videotaped beating

[alp227]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

Rejecting a more lenient recommendation from the San Jose Police Department, City Manager Debra Figone is moving to fire a cop for using "unnecessary and unreasonable" force during a secretly videotaped 2009 arrest of a Vietnamese college student, the Mercury News has learned.

The department had recommended veteran Officer Kenneth Siegel be suspended without pay for raining more than a dozen baton blows on Phuong Ho, an aspiring actuary studying at San Jose State. Acting police Chief Chris Moore said Tuesday that the decision was made by chief Rob Davis, who recently retired. Moore would not specify the length of the recommended suspension.

But in a rare move, Figone's office sent an official notice this week that the city instead intends to take Siegel's badge away for good, multiple sources told the newspaper, for "failing to properly assess the situation" and "using poor officer safety tactics."

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/twitter/ci_16914587

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video of the incident and interview by SJ Mercury News with Ho

I go to the same university with Ho but have never met him. The DA dropped all charges against Ho and the officers, so it's good to see that the city is stepping up.

[47of74]

1. That's rare alright

A city having the iron set to strip a bad cop of his badge? You don't see that too often.

[avaistheone1]

2. Sounds like City Hall is taking on some big problems successfully.

Kudos to them.

[DeSwiss]

3. K&R

The cops have no business weighing-in on the decision process concerning the continued employment of members of their exclusive club of authoritarians. Not as long as they have the right to use deadly force.

- A hearty Right On!, for the City Manager!!!

[SkyDaddy7]

4. WOW! Can't say I have ever heard of a city doing this...

Usually they ask cops very nicely to "resign" so that the cop can go one city or county over & continue beating folks when he feels like it.

It would be so nice to see this everywhere.