Phoenix police to investigate officers' handling of Latino Man: Beating Caught on Videotape

Phoenix police asked the Maricopa County Attorney's Office on Wednesday to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against two police officers for their actions caught on videotape during the arrest of a 22-year-old assault and carjacking suspect on Tuesday.  The 12 News video shows officers hitting and elbowing Jaime Jimenez, a Mexican national who was already handcuffed. Jimenez is accused of assaulting and robbing a pregnant woman at gunpoint outside a supermarket near 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road. Phoenix police are conducting an internal investigation into the incident and will forward their report to the County Attorney's Office when it's complete. Some Hispanic leaders said that such behavior can't be condoned.  "If I went out and did that . . . it would absolutely be criminal conduct," said attorney Stephen Montoya, who called a description of the incident a classic case of assault and battery. "Just because a police officer does it doesn't make it trivial."   According to police descriptions of the two officers, the video shows: Officer Steven Huddleston, 31, lunging into Jimenez, who appears to be facing a wall, with his hands in the air;  An officer striking Jimenez in the upper body; An officer putting his foot on Jimenez's midsection; Officer Thomas Beck, 32, holding his fist on Jimenez's neck, putting a large amount of weight on it; Beck punching him in the groin after rolling him in the dirt while searching his pockets; Huddleston, 31, standing on the back of Jimenez's left knee; Huddleston elbowing Jimenez in the face as he was walked to the patrol car. Jimenez suffered no serious injuries, police said, and was booked into a Maricopa County jail on charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and assault. [more]

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