Three San Bernardino County deputies were charged Tuesday with felony assault in a highly publicized beating of an Apple Valley man in April. District Attorney Mike Ramos announced that charges were filed against Deputies Nicholas Downey, Michael Phelps, and Charles Foster. If convicted of assault by a public officer, each deputy faces up to three years in prison for repeatedly kicking and punching Francis Pusock as he lay on the ground with his hands behind his back. A Los Angeles TV station broadcast the beating on live television. Two weeks after the beating, the County Board of Supervisors approved a $650,000 settlement with Pusock. Seven other deputies—including a detective and a sergeant—were not charged in the beating, although all 10 deputies were placed on administrative leave while the district attorney’s office investigated.
THREE COUNTY DEPUTIES CHARGED IN VIDEOTAPED BEATING
