An internal Public Safety Department investigation has exonerated three officers who were accused by several residents of using excessive force in a December arrest on Weddell Drive.
The investigation determined that the officers did not use excessive force in the Dec. 16 arrest of 53-year-old Sidney Hines Mitchell, but that two officers who gave each other a high-five after the arrest acted inappropriately, said Regan Williams, director of Public Safety.
In a letter to the complainants, Williams said that "all officers are reminded of the importance of professional conduct at all times."
According to police, Mitchell led officers on a car chase, then resisted arrest. Mitchell has since been charged with evading police, being under the influence of cocaine, driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest.
Residents of the Sunburst Apartments, the complex where Mitchell lives and was arrested, said they saw police kick Mitchell after he was on the ground.
The city of Sunnyvale has set up a telephone hotline that will accept resident concerns and provide regularly updated information about the future of Moffett Federal Airfield.
The service, which began Monday, accepts calls 24 hours a day.
The city will use the citizen questions and comments to help determine its response to federal decisions regarding Moffett Field alternatives.
To reach the hotline, call 737-4900.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 14, 1996.
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