Hip Hop Congress

Campaign Against Police Brutality and Support Filipino Family

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2007

CONTACT:
Raj Jayadev (408) 757-5875

San Jose Police Brutality and Racial Profiling of Filipino Family Condemned
Community Demands the District Attorney’s Office to Drop Charges
Against Family Members and Prosecute the Offending Officers
Immediately

WHAT: Press Conference — “Campaign Against Police Brutality and
Support Filipino Family” with speakers from the Asian Law Alliance,
Coalition for Justice and Accountability, and several local community
organizations

WHEN: TUESDAY, May 15, 2007, 12 noon

WHERE: Public assembly area outside of the Superior Court, 190 West
Hedding St, San Jose, CA, 95110

San Jose, CA– San Jose police officers used unnecessary excessive
force and racially profiled Marlo (18), Romel (25), and Marilou
Custodio(50), three unarmed Filipino residents of Evergreen Valley.
The beatings occurred in the Evergreen Valley lake area on February 5,
2007 around 7pm.

One officer slammed Marilou’s head against a police car three times.
Marilou is the single mother of Marlo and Romel and is employed in a
professional occupation. After experiencing the police beating, she is
suffering from post-traumatic anxiety.

Several officers physically brutalized Romel, age 25. Already
pacified, officers still used tasers on him. After the incident, Romel
sought medical treatment for the physical injury and excessive taser
burns. Also, an officer choked Marlo, age 18 and another kneed him in
the face.

“I’m appalled with police conduct against the Custodio family and
urge the District Attorney’s Office to drop charges against the family
members right away,” said Dr. Peter Chua, sociology professor at San
Jose State University. “This is a clear case of police misconduct and
hypocrisy. The police charged them with resisting arrest. The
offending officers should be facing criminal charges.”

“The San Jose Police Department has been under scrutiny recently for
its routine and systematic practice of racial profiling against the
Blacks and Latinos in the city and for use of excessive force against
poor, racial, and immigrant communities,” said Rowena Tomanang, member
of the Justice for Custodio Family Campaign and of MALAYA, a San Jose
Filipina women organization.

The Justice for Custodio Family Campaign supports the family members
who experienced police brutality and their struggle for genuine
justice and provides community education on racial profiling, know
your rights, and social justice. At present, participating local
organizations in the campaign include Filipino Youth Coalition (FYC),
MALAYA, Filipino Community Support (FOCUS), Silicon Valley De-Bug, and
the Coalition for Justice and Accountability as well many concerned
individuals.