Police Brutal at Protest

An internal investigation concluded by the Stanford University police earlier this month found officers acted brutally in arresting protesters at a sit-in, but did not recommend any disciplinary action for the officers involved.

Four of those arrested at an October 11 protest against Stanford's South African investments were taken to the North County Jail in Palo Alto, Ca., after allegedly being mistreated by police. One of the four, senior Robbert Perkins, was allegedly beaten during a strip search.

Perkins' bruises were "consistent with having received an unlawful beating," the official report of the investigator states.

The investigation found the police actions "wrong and unjustifiable," but says the investigation could not determine exactly what happened in recommending no disciplinary action for the officers involved.

The report criticizes officers involved in the incident for using a "compliance pain hold," in which an arm is twisted behind the back, and pressure is applied to the shoulder muscle.

Perkins is currently suing the Santa Clara County Sherriff's office, and the alleged beating has become a new rallying cry of Stanford protesters, said a reporter for The Stanford Daily.

The Stanford student government has commissioned an independent investigation to determine whether or not Perkins had been beaten.