DA Refiles Charges Against PA Police Officer In Cellphone-Breaking Case

READING, Pa. (AP) — A prosecutor has refiled criminal charges against an eastern Pennsylvania police officer accused of wrongly punching a woman and smashing her cellphone.

The charges against Reading Officer Jesus Santiago-DeJesus, including official oppression and evidence-tampering, were dismissed by a district judge last month.

Defense attorney Allan Sodomsky says he'll be curious to see what's new about the allegations refiled Thursday, especially since Berks County District Attorney John Adams has said a conviction could be difficult to obtain.

Sodomsky contends the motorist refused the officer's orders and assaulted him first during an April 5 traffic stop. Sodomsky says the officer merely wanted to get the woman's phone away from her so she couldn't use it as a weapon.

But Adams contends the officer had no cause to make the stop or punch the woman and sought to destroy cellphone video.

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