Group: Amateur Video Shows San Jose Police Brutality During Cinco De Mayo Celebration

There is controversy in San Jose over how police handled crowds celebrating Cinco de Mayo. A home videotape shows struggles between officers and the public on Friday night. There's debate whether police were out of line. On Cinco de Mayo, celebrations in San Jose got festive -- and at times out of control. Police arrested 56 people Friday night on charges ranging from public drunkenness to assault, but it's what happened on the corner of Story and King roads that has a community riled up. Antonio Diaz, Black Berets for Justice: "We believe that we were targeted as an organization." Antonio Diaz says he and police watch groups from Berkely and San Jose were monitoring Cinco de Mayo festivities on the city's east side.  Antonio Diaz, Black Berets for Justice: "We already met with four of the officers earlier in the night. They had approved of the event and it wasn't an illegal assembly." But as the crowd grew, police say so did the fear that it was becoming a dangerous situation. Officers first tried dispersing the crowd by announcing their request over loudspeakers, as did a party organizer. Some people did leave -- but not all. When officers moved in, they scuffled physically with a group. In the video, you can see one officer strike with a baton. Another pushes aside a woman who is videotaping with a camera. In the end, officers arrested six people on charges of not dispersing and resisting arrest. The police watch groups are claiming brutality. Antonio Diaz and the police watch groups disagree with the police actions and are asking for an investigation. They say they have other videos to prove this isn't the first time San Jose police have terrorized their community, and they're asking for the public's help. [MORE]