Author: Vu Linh

Littlesaigoninside.blogspot.com

The BBC came calling for an interview and so the international media circus has began. As an international student at San Jose State University, Phuong Ho has become a center of media attention for his unfortunate run-in with 4 San Jose City policemen in his dorm. He was allegedly beaten with batons and Taser gun while laying on the floor and handcuffed.

Undoubtly the Vietnamese Consulate will involve at one point or another to protect its citizen, especially one that has his human rights violated. Today, his lawyer, Nguyen Hoang Duyen, had an interview with an international human rights group and had file a civil rights complain. Nguyen is an associate dean of Lincoln Law School. This is a small private law school. The school’s faculty includes – Ash Kalra (ex-public defender and currenlty San Jose city councilmember), three superior court judges including Barrett Thang Nguyen and one of the well known criminal lawyers in California – Guyton Jinkerson.

See video: Brightcove.com

LSI is not a betting person and do not know enough about the law but it is a safe bet to say that the DA office will not proceed with a trial and that the police officers will not be charged with anything.

Asian Law Alliance will have a townhall meeting with representatives of community groups this Wednesday at 2:00 PM (at their headquarters) on the issue of police excessive use of force as well as civil rights of minorities in San Jose.

Background:

The San Jose Mercury News released a video tape of an unarmed San Jose State UniversityVietnamese student, Phuong Ho, 20 year-old math major from Ho chi Minh City, being beating 10 times with a baton and and used Taser gun while he was handcuffed.

Mercurynews.com

According to the Mercury News –
“It takes me back to the day I saw the Rodney King video on TV,” said Roger Clark, a certified policing expert and a retired lieutenant with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, where he served for 27 years.

The video tape was made by his roommate using cell phone and sold to Ho’s lawyer, Nguyen hoang Duyen.

His roommate is an eyewitness and could not believe the beating of an unarmed classmate. The SJPD this year shot to death a mentally retarded Daniel Pham and so far has refused to release information about the case despite the community’s request.