Officer arraigned on charges of destroying woman's phone, lying about assault

READING, PA (WTXF/AP) - The police officer accused of lying about being assaulted during a traffic stop has made his first court appearance.

Berks County District Attorney John Adams announced charges, including official oppression and evidence tampering, against 27-year-old Reading Officer Jesus Santiago-DeJesus.

The officer was arraigned Thursday and released on bail. Santiago-DeJesus didn't comment and doesn't have an attorney listed in court records.

Adams said the officer broke the cellphone of a woman he pulled over without sufficient cause.

Santiago-DeJesus claimed in a report the woman didn't use a turn signal before the stop, although surveillance video from nearby homes and businesses shows she did. (Click here for video.)

Adams said the officer knocked the phone out of the woman's hand to destroy the video she was recording and wrongly charged her and a passenger.

The officer is on paid leave.