A San Jose police officer is accused of punching a woman in the face during a road rage incident in July when he was off duty, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
George Brown, 37, is facing charges of felony assault under the color of authority, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor child endangerment, the district attorney's office said. He could face jail time if he's convicted.
"It is disappointing that an officer - on or off duty - would act in such a reckless and violent way," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. "A higher standard of behavior is not a suggestion or a request. It is built into the badge."
The incident happened at about 8 p.m. on July 24, the district attorney's office said. Brown was driving in his Ford Explorer with an acquaintance and family members, including a young child, when he and the driver of a Ford Flex almost got into a crash. A man was driving the Flex, his wife was in the front passenger seat and their teenage daughter was sitting in the back seat.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The two vehicles were driving onto Interstate 280 when the two drivers sped up and then braked "in an aggressive manner," the district attorney's office said.
The woman passenger in the Flex threw a plastic bottle that hit Brown's car, according to the district attorney's office. Brown, who was on the phone, mouthed to the driver of the Flex to "pull over."
The driver of the Flex pulled onto the shoulder of the freeway while Brown stopped about a car length behind and blocked a lane of traffic, the district attorney's office said.
Local
Brown called police dispatch and asked for "code 3" assistance, which is usually used during emergencies, the district attorney's office said.
Brown and the front seat passenger in his car got out after the driver of the Flex and his wife got out of their car. After identifying himself as a San Jose police officer, Brown punched the woman in the face "without provocation," causing her to fall to the ground, according to the district attorney's office.
Brown punched the woman again as she tried to get back up, the district attorney's office said.
Meanwhile, the passenger with Brown, identified as Erik Brunner of Redwood City, got into a fight with the other person who came out of the Flex. Brown joined that fight after knocking the woman down the second time, according to the district attorney's office.
Brunner is facing a misdemeanor battery charge, the district attorney's office said.
Everyone involved in the incident eventually got back in their cars and left the scene before authorities arrived. The woman who was punched initially returned home, but then she went to the hospital and reported being assaulted, the district attorney's office said.
Video of the incident was captured by a Tesla that passed by the scene, according to the district attorney's office. The Tesla driver called 911 and handed over the video footage to investigators.
Another witness captured part of the incident on their cellphone, the district attorney's office said.
The video footage will not be released, the district attorney's office said, citing the need to protect the privacy of the victims.
