Prosecutor: Cop Destroyed Woman's Phone, Lied About Assault
READING, Pa. (AP) — A prosecutor in Pennsylvania says a police officer lied about being assaulted after breaking the cellphone of a woman motorist he pulled over without sufficient cause.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams announced charges, including official oppression and evidence tampering, against 27-year-old Reading Officer Jesus Santiago-DeJesus.
The officer was arraigned Thursday. Defense lawyer Allan Sodomsky says his client didn't do anything wrong and that a video clip released by prosecutors doesn't tell the whole story. Sodomsky says the motorist refused commands and assaulted him.
Adams says the officer claimed in a report that the woman didn't use a turn signal before the stop, although surveillance video from nearby homes and businesses shows she did.
Adams says the officer knocked the phone out of the woman's hand to destroy the video she was recording and wrongly charged her and a passenger.
The officer is on paid leave.
(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
