ANOTHER VIDEO OF A VIOLENT POLICE ARREST?

While most police officers are conscientious and constructive at very difficult jobs, numerous police reforms are necessary to address community concerns and restore trust in a system where police brutality is all too often captured on video.

What happened May 12 in La Jolla demonstrates not enough officers understand use of force should be a last resort. Bystander video shows officers wrestling and then repeatedly punching Jesse Evans, a 34-year-old homeless Black man. Police bodycam video released Friday shows officers repeatedly ask Evans to stop resisting while Evans — who threw one officer’s portable radio and two punches of his own in response — says he is resisting because he has to urinate and doesn’t want to wet his pants.

Yes, of course, Evans’ behavior toward officers was wrong, but they confronted, grabbed and punched him first. After years of police chiefs, including San Diego’s David Nisleit, imploring their officers to focus on de-escalating confrontations and being aware of the mental issues faced by many homeless people, the officers’ conduct on May 12 amounts to an assault. Before the physical confrontation began, it is hard to see how Evans was a threat to anyone. When the officers were unable to get Evans’ cooperation, they should have backed off and waited for more help to arrive, from a psychiatric emergency response team. If that meant Evans illegally urinated in public instead of on himself — as he feared — he could have faced the consequences.

There’s much about this incident to criticize. For one thing, the officers’ body-cam video showing the incident should have been released right away, not after nine days. Any claim that a premature release of the video would damage the investigation into the three felonies and four misdemeanors that Evans is alleged to have committed is dubious. This was an altercation — not a complex conspiracy.

In an interview, Mayor Todd Gloria reaffirmed his commitment to police reform but also declined to second-guess Nisleit for not commenting on the La Jolla incident, noting that “officers do have due process [rights] ... we have to abide by that.” That doesn’t mean Nisleit couldn’t have made a public comment to address concerns from those who were able to watch the video. More city leaders need to make clear that what happened May 12 is not just inappropriate but is the exact reason why those with clinical training in dealing with people with mental health issues should be among the first responders in cases involving homeless people.

In June 2020, in the wake of national protests over George Floyd’s death, Nisleit announced that SDPD had adopted a formal policy that put even more emphasis on de-escalation when dealing with the public. He called it “one of the most robust policies in this nation” and said it gave officers clarity on “what it is that we are asking them to do.” Nisleit needs to address concerns and make public announcements about situations like this more often. Gloria needs to encourage that, and be more proactive himself. And politicians need to stop talking about finding new ways to help the community’s most vulnerable, and actually follow through on it.