$40K Jury Award Going To Charity After Woman Roughed Up By Santa Clara County Sheriff

LOS ALTOS (KCBS) -- A Santa Clara County woman has been awarded thousands of dollars by a jury after they agreed with her claim that she had been roughed up by local sheriff's deputies.

Shiow-Huey Chang was driving when she heard sirens behind her on Foothill Expressway in Los Altos, but there was a cyclist to her right. So, Chang pulled over in the lane of traffic, which irritated a deputy with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's department.

Dash cam video shows the deputy swearing at Chang, asking her why she stopped where she stopped.

"She touched his ticket book, emphasizing that she wanted to see the supervisor. He threw down his ticket book, and with the help of the other deputy, grabbed her arm, jerked her out of the car," Chang's attorney Jim McManis told KCBS.

Sheriff Laurie Smith deemed the force justified, but a jury disagreed, awarding Chang $40,000.

"She's still traumatized from this. She couldn't even stay in the courtroom for the trial because she didn't want to be in the same room with these two deputies," McManis said.

Chang's glasses were broken, and she suffered a cut to her cheek in the scuffle.

Chang said she will donate the money to charity.