Man Beat By Alameda County Sheriff's Deputies Not Charged, But Deputies Not Charged Either
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The legal case over a brutal beating caught on video has gone quiet. There was outrage last fall when two Alameda County sheriff's deputies were caught beating a suspect. But since then, no word on any charges against the deputies.
"It's outrageous that nothing has happened," said San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi about the video that a witness turned in to his office last fall. It shows two Alameda County Sheriff's deputies in a San Francisco alley, striking Stanislov Petrov with their nightsticks over and over.
"The beating went on for at least 15 minutes. What you can see is continuously beating and you can hear the batons hitting against bone and flesh and Mr. Petrov screaming," said Adachi.
Just before he was beaten, police say Petrov stole a car and crashed into two patrol cars, then led police on a chase over the Bay Bridge.
"It's one of the most horrendous beating videos I have seen even worse than the Rodney King case in many ways and yet there has been no action," said Adachi.
Luis Santamaria and Paul Weiber, the two deputies, are on paid administrative leave. Will they face charges? That's up to the San Francisco District Attorney and he's not saying.
But a law enforcement source tells KPIX 5 the case has gotten complicated recently, and may be delaying that decision. Turns out that in addition to the two deputies, the District Attorney's Office is now investigating whether at least two additional deputies on the scene - possibly more - may have also broken the law.
"I don't think that's an unusual amount of time," said KPIX 5 legal analyst Ladoris Cordell.
Lining up all the evidence can take a while, said Cordell. The DA has to be able to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
"Right now, I don't think people should be too concerned. But if it gets to 6 months or more, then yes, we should be asking a lot of questions about why this is happening," Cordell said.
Another wrinkle: Investigators have had trouble tracking Petrov down to talk to him. The Alameda County District Attorney has decided not to pursue the case against him, so there are no charges there.
As for the deputies? No specific date, but a source tells KPIX 5 to look for a decision about charges "very soon."