The region’s NAACP chapter is reprimanding San Jose police for the viral incident earlier this week in which a pedestrian attacked Mayor Matt Mahan’s security detail after a verbal dispute turned physical.
The Rev. Jethroe Moore, president of the NAACP San Jose/Silicon Valley, sent a critical email to interim Police Chief Paul Joseph on Wednesday about the incident, which was filmed by KRON4 during a downtown interview with the mayor. The mayor’s security detail, a suited SJPD officer, suffered injuries during the altercation and the pedestrian, identified as Wesley Pollard, was arrested on felony charges, including assault on an officer.
“Upon viewing the video of the incident, I was concerned by the rapid escalation of the situation into a physical altercation,” Moore wrote. “The officer involved in the altercation did not clearly identify himself as a law enforcement officer, and there appears to be no legal basis for ordering the pedestrian to move from his location in a public space. “The pedestrian’s reaction, although a warning, should have been met with a more measured response from the officer, considering the circumstances.”
Pollard was scheduled to appear in Santa Clara County court on Friday, with bond set at $26,000. KRON4 https://twitter.com/jmolmud/status/1783989795234160887 Pollard has been released on condition that he remain 300 meters from Mahan and the officer involved and that he will be subject to random police searches for weapons possession.
The police chief denied Moore’s conclusions in a statement of his own, arguing that the officer identified himself.
“As with many incidents involving law enforcement, the video released to the public does not contain the entire incident. In particular, it does not include the officer identifying himself, nor does it include the many attempts he made to de-escalate the situation and avoid the use of force or taking any coercive action,” Joseph wrote, adding that Pollard had an outstanding arrest warrant from Georgia. for “resisting arrest with violence.”
The police department declined to comment beyond Joseph’s statement, but said Joseph has been in communication with Moore since the incident.
As a result of the incident, San Jose Police Officers Association spokesman Tom Saggau said the union plans to send a letter Monday requesting that a minimum of two officers be assigned to the mayor. He called Moore’s comments “nonsense” and insisted the officer identify himself.
“I don’t know if you can hear it on the video, but if you talk to other people who were present, they all heard it and they were further away than the suspect,” Saggau told San José Spotlight.
A person who witnessed the altercation firsthand, who asked not to be identified, told San José Spotlight that the officer showed the pedestrian his badge and attempted to calm and dissuade Pollard.
Moore in his letter asked SJPD to conduct a thorough review of the incident, including the actions of all parties involved.
“It is imperative that all officers receive ongoing training in de-escalation and conflict resolution techniques to handle challenging situations effectively and with respect for the rights of all individuals,” Moore wrote.
Mahan expressed gratitude for the officer, but said he supports a review of his actions.
“He did his job, used his training to de-escalate, and remained level-headed even when he was physically attacked,” Mahan told San José Spotlight. “Cases like this deserve a comprehensive and transparent review to maintain trust between our law enforcement officers and the community they protect. “I am sure the San Jose Police Department will provide more details as they become available.”
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.
