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Attorney: Deputies Offered Onlookers Cash After Beating Man

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- An attorney says two Northern California sheriff's deputies seen beating a suspect on video offered the man's belongings to homeless onlookers in exchange for their silence.

The Oakland Tribune reports that attorney Michael Haddad represents beating victim Stanislav Petrov. He says the Alameda County deputies approached a homeless man in a San Francisco alley after the beating and gave him a large gold chain with a medallion, cash and a pack of cigarettes.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon says he hasn't decided whether he will criminally charge the deputies in the incident.

The video released by the San Francisco public defender's office shows both deputies repeatedly hitting a man with their batons as he screamed.

Deputies say they believed Petrov was armed and possibly on drugs.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

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