Community leaders voiced concern Thursday night about police conduct in Chula Vista.
It stemmed from the 2006 police beating of an Otay Ranch High School student, mistaken for a thief.
The city settled that young man's civil lawsuit for $400,000. “No amount of money will ever get that young man's life back, to the way it was before this vicious attack,” South Bay Forum spokesperson Norma Cazares said.
There are allegations that the same officer beat another man, Cazares said. Others alleged racial profiling, something police deny.
Community leaders believe some Chula Vista residents are afraid to come forward
“I don't ever like to hear somebody saying that an officer did something he shouldn't have done,” Chula Vista Police Captain Gary Wedge said. “That's why I encourage people, if something happens that they're uncomfortable with, to call us."
The officer in question left the department, police said.
