San Diego

Two narcotics detectives have been charged with misdemeanor battery and assault on a man arrested in a drug raid after a fellow officer complained, according to the district attorney’s office.

San Diego police detective Harvey Love and National City police detective William Rudenshausen, members of the county’s Integrated Narcotics Task Force, will be arraigned May 16, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Dusek said Wednesday.

The maximum penalty for the offenses is one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, Dusek said.

The two officers are accused of hitting and kneeing Alphonso Reyes, 20, during a Jan. 24 arrest in the 3500 block of Madison Avenue.

National City Sgt. Robert McMartin said that the incident was a personnel matter and that neither he nor anyone else in the department will comment on it.

The charges follow the national outrage over allegations of police brutality in the March 3 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police. That beating, videotaped by a witness, has served to heighten public awareness.

Dusek said his decision to file charges was unrelated to the incident in Los Angeles.

“This case would have been filed today or a year ago,” Dusek said.

The case was brought to his office by the internal affairs agency of both police departments after an officer from National City complained, Dusek said.

Love, 34, is a seven-year veteran of the department; Rudenshausen, 35, is an 8-year veteran.