There Is a New Rodney King Video, and It's Brutal

By Rick Hurd, Contra Costa Times

18 November 15

wo Alameda County Sheriff's deputies were placed on paid administrative leave after a videotape surfaced that shows them beating a suspect with batons in a San Francisco alley, a Sheriff's Office spokesman said Monday.

The two unnamed deputies were captured on surveillance tape beating San Leandro resident Stanislav Petrov in a San Francisco alley onThursday. Authorities say he drove 100 mph while leading deputies on a 40-mile chase in a stolen Mercedes and that he was wanted on multiple felony warrants. Petrov's age has not been released.

A member of the San Francisco Public Defender's Office released the 13-minute, 1-second video and posted it to YouTube. The video had been viewed 163,000 times by 2 p.m. Monday.

"I can confirm that the deputies in question are on leave, and that they are no longer working," Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said Monday. "As soon as were alerted to the video, we immediately started our own investigation and placed the deputies on leave."

The deputies were seen on surveillance videotape chasing Petrov, with one tackling him and both beating him repeatedly on his back, his shoulders and possibly his head. The videotape shows at least 30 blows between the two deputies, some after Petrov tried to crawl away into a fetal position.

Petrov stops running seconds into the video but does not make any other obvious signal that he's giving up.

"The surveillance footage is disgusting and reminds me of Rodney King," Alameda County public defender Brendon Woods said.

King became nationally known after four Los Angeles Police Department officers beat him with batons following a high-speed car chase on March 3, 1991. The officers' acquittal led to widespread riots and looting in Los Angeles.

"It's very important that there's not a rush to judgment here, but at some point, they will have to justify the beating they gave this guy," said Geoff Alpert, a professor in the department of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina. Alpert, who has written books examining police force and accountability, viewed the recent video of the Alameda County deputies and Petrov and said Monday "it's hard to imagine what would justify it."

During the video, one or both deputies can be heard yelling, "Get on the ground!" and, "Do not move!" Petrov can be heard groaning in pain after the beating, and deputies arriving after the beating do not appear to offer aid. An ambulance took Petrov to San Francisco General Hospital, where he remained Monday with injuries to his head, hands and arms.

Woods called for San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and state Attorney General Kamala Harris to investigate and for the sheriff to release the names of the two deputies.

"Those deputies viciously attacked a man who appeared to be surrendering," he said. "They beat him with their batons even though he is not resisting. This is clearly excessive force."

According to Kelly, Petrov was driving a stolen Mercedes when deputies patrolling a motel in the 17200 block of Foothill Boulevard in San Leandro spotted him. Petrov allegedly responded by speeding toward a patrol car and ramming it, pushing it into one of the deputies, then taking off on the chase.

"No matter what happens, you have to respond to the threat level," Alpert said. "And at the moment where this is happening, it appears there is not a real perceivable threat. But that's why it's important not to rush to judgment."

After the chase, deputies found a loaded gun in the car, Kelly said. Deputies arrested Petrov on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, felony evading police, felony hit-and-run and weapons charges. Petrov had multiple felony warrants out for his arrest when the chase occurred, police said.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating whether either deputy captured the confrontation on body camera. Deputies are issued body cameras and encouraged to activate them, but department policy allows individual deputies to decide when to turn the cameras on.

"We're talking to everybody involved," Kelly said. "Everything is being done that is supposed to be done. We're talking and cooperating with all agencies."