SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- A witness' cellphone video recorded the moment when police officers surrounded a man and one officer repeatedly punched him on the ground in San Jose. The homeless man was suspected of masturbating outside a woman's home and trespassing, according to police.
The clash between San Jose Police Department officers and the homeless man happened at 8 p.m. on March 10 on a Fruitdale Avenue sidewalk, police said. Officers had been called to the area by a woman who lived nearby.
The woman told police that she was afraid of the homeless man because he had been trespassing on her property and publicly masturbating outside her home, a San Jose Police Department spokesperson told KRON4. The victim told police that she wanted to press charges.
When officers found the man, he was laying on a sidewalk in the area of Fruitdale Avenue and Leigh Avenue. SJPD said once officers approached him, he ran away. Officers chased the man and he bit one officer during a "physical altercation," SJPD said.
"The suspect’s active resistance prompted a use of force incident to occur. Ultimately, the suspect was taken into custody and sustained minor injuries that did not require hospital evaluation. Three officers were evaluated at a local hospital for minor injuries related to the struggle and later released. One of the officers required treatment from being bitten by the suspect," SJPD's spokesperson told KRON4.
The man was booked into a Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of indecent exposure, resisting arrest, and battery on an officer. His name was not released by law enforcement officials.
The witness' video begins when one officer repeatedly punches the man and additional officers surround him. Mayor Matt Mahan said one of the officers was bitten by the man multiple times.
Mahan told KRON4, "Use of force, even when justified, is hard to watch."
Mahan continued, "The truth is, the suspect should have been indoors and in care, not exposing himself in a neighborhood. This is yet another example of why I am calling on our county to expand treatment options for those living and dying on our streets. If this person had received the care he clearly needs, a neighbor would have never had to call 911 because she was scared that a homeless man was masturbating outside her residence. He never would have repeatedly bit a police officer."
Mahan has been pushing hard to reduce or eliminate homelessness on city streets. Last week, the mayor proposed a plan to arrest homeless people who repeatedly refuse help and shelters. Recent city data indicates that one in three homeless residents are refusing interim housing when offered. During a March 6 news conference, the mayor said, "I’m proposing that after three offers of shelter, we hold people accountable for turning their lives around."
The police department said an internal investigation is underway to determine whether the officers acted within department policies for use of force on March 10. Mahan said he alerted the city's Independent Police Auditor to ensure his office was aware of the March 10 incident.
On Friday, the mayor said, "We have one of the best police departments in the country and I want to thank our brave officers for working every day to make our community safe."
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