Albert Hopkins' violent, late-night encounter with two Palo Alto police officers in the summer of 2003 took only a few moments. But the beating he took sent shock waves through the community that continue to reverberate. Brutality. Racism. Police incompetence. The incident has raised concern about all those issues, adding fuel to an already heated debate over how police in Palo Alto treat minorities. Starting this week, Santa Clara County jurors will begin to decide for themselves whether what happened that night was a case of two officers dealing responsibly with someone who was out of control, or two officers beating and pepper-spraying a 59-year-old black man for no good reason. Officers Michael Kan, 27, and Craig Lee, 42, have been charged with felony assault under color of authority. If convicted, they could face up to three years in prison.