2019 >> A decision by two San Jose officers to break up a homeless encampment led to the beating, pepper-spraying and tasing of a resident who failed to follow the officers’ commands but did not appear to threaten them. A policing expert who reviewed the records called the officers’ actions “the wrong approach.”

Officers Steven Aponte and Alex Cristancho had little doubt of Arthur Lee Turner’s mental state: Turner proclaimed himself to be God and told them “not to mess with God.” Their training urged a focus on “active listening” when engaging a subject who seemed to be mentally impaired.

When Turner walked away rather than heeding a command to stop, the officers swiftly decided to use what they later called ‘pain compliance.’ “Watch this guys, this guy’s about to get batoned,” one officer announced to the encampment residents, according to the body camera video.

Turner’s defiance turned to pleading by the end of the encounter. “What are you doing this for?” He asked. And later: “Please take your knee off me so I can breathe.”