The petition
Drop the Charges Against
the Custodio Family Now!
Charge the Offending Officers!
Unite in Justice for the Victims of
Police Brutality!
Marlo (age 18), Romel (age 25), and Marilou (age 50) Custodio, three unarmed Filipino residents of Evergreen Valley in San Jose, CA were subjected to a series of unprovoked attacks by multiple members of the San Jose Police Department (SJPD)and later arrested to cover up these acts of outrageous police brutality. The beatings occurred in the Evergreen Valley lake area on February 5, 2007 around 7-8 p.m.
Eight police officers participated in the beatings and two officers observed. Examples of use of excessive force include:
One officer slammed Marilou's head against a police car three times. Marilou suffers
post-traumatic anxiety and trauma due to the police beating. She is a single mother.
Five officers swarmed, tackled, and brutalized Romel. Already pacified, Romel was still tasered with three weapons for 40 seconds (over the usual time limit) and had to seek medical treatment for physical injury and taser burns.
One officer choked and tasered Marlo even while he was following police orders;afterwards, another officer kneed Marlo in the face.
In late 2005 prior to Custodio family incident, the County of Santa Clara convened a civil Grant Jury to assess the possible "department-wide problem of racial profiling" in the SJPD. In May 2006, the County of Santa Clara Civil Grand Jury found "legitimate concern" regarding police use of excessive force and that the San Jose Police Department institutionally encourages police officers to disproportionately target, question,
search and arrest African-Americans, Latinos and other people of color.
Local organizations and concerned individuals strongly criticize the police and the city for this incident and many other similar incidents. A heavy burden lies with the District Attorney's Office to drop the charges against the Custodio family, grant them justice, take disciplinary action against the perpetrators and bystanders of the beatings, prosecute them, and to act decisively. We invite our friends and community organizations the support and join the campaign.
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