By Brian Anderson
Valley Times

Nov. 3, 2000

OAKLAND — Four Oakland police officers have been charged with 48 felony counts accusing them of an array of crimes including kidnapping, beating a handcuffed suspect and filing false reports.

In what Alameda County’s top prosecutor called a “sad day,” the tight-knit group of officers that patrolled the tough streets of West Oakland using the moniker “The Riders” were also charged with a total of 12 misdemeanors.

Frank Vazquez, 43, Jude Siapno, 32, Clarence Mabanag, 35, and Matthew Hornung, 28, have all been placed on paid administrative leave until internal investigations of their cases are completed next week, officials said.

Dressed in neatly pressed suits and looking well groomed, three of the officers appeared before Judge Marshall Whitley in Superior Court Thursday afternoon after they surrendered earlier in the day. They stared blankly at a gallery of media and a handful of police officers as their attorneys consulted with the judge and Deputy District Attorney David Hollister.

Vazquez is charged with 15 felony counts and three misdemeanors; Mabanag is charged with 15 felonies, five misdemeanors; Siapno is charged with 13 felonies, two misdemeanors; and Hornung is charged with five felonies and two misdemeanors.

A formal arraignment on the charges was continued to early December at which the officers are expected to plead not guilty, their attorneys said. By early evening, Hornung was released on $53,000 bail.

Siapno and Mabanag were being held in protective custody at North County Jail on bail of $175,000 and $157,000, respectively, officials said. Their attorneys were working to post bail Thursday night.

Vazquez was apparently out of town and was unaware of the charges or agreement to surrender, said Michael Rains, an attorney for Mabanag. A warrant for his arrest with bail set at $194,500 was issued.

Outside the courtroom, Rains and fellow lawyers, Edward Fishman and William Rapoport, said their clients were anxious to bring to light the facts of the case and questioned the motives of the police officer who raised the allegations.

“This officer has worked diligently and effectively as an officer,” Rains said of Mabanag. “They have clealry taken a snapshot. We know the source of the information as a rookie police officer. “We intend to explore issues as to the reason and the motivation for the charges.”

Police and the District Attorney began investigating the officers, whose experience ranges from 2-12 years on the force, this summer after Officer Keith Batt went to his superiors with stories of a beating and other misconduct.

One of the worst allegations, according to the complaint filed Wednesday, accuses the four officers of illegally detaining Delphine Allen on June 27. Prosecutors also contend that Siapno and Vazquez then took Allen to another part of Oakland where they “beat (him), while (he) was hadcuffed, about the face, stomach, back and legs,” the complaint states.

All the incidents brought up in the complaint reportedly occured between June 13 and July 2, said District Attorney Tom Orloff.

The investigation and subsequent charges have sent shockwaves through the 725-officer force and led to the dismissal of 23 pending and previously resolved cases, Orloff said. Many of those cases involved drug possession, he said.

While further charges are not expected, dozens of cases are being reviewed to determine if they were falsely prosecuted as a result of tainted police reports or misconduct.

“I’ve met with hundreds of officers in this department who are very troubled by these allegations,” said police Chief Richard Word. “It’s difficult on my department. It’s difficult for the community. But when you have allegations of this sort, you have to take some strong and severe action both administratively and criminally. And that’s what we’ve done in this case.”

Orloff urged the public to not generalize the allegations.

“This is a sad day that in the public mind that this action may unjustly reflect on the vast majority on the men and women in the Oakland Police Department who are professionals, ethical and dedicated public servants,” Orloff said. “To the people of Oakland, I would say that you should have pride and confidence in your Oakland Police Department.”