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Ex-cop�s assault trial begins By Sara Murphy An alleged assault in the Ashland police station last summer � the result of a dispute over pronunciation � cost former Capt. Lisa Brooks her job. This week, a six-member jury will decide whether she committed a crime. "There�s a reason that they say there�s two sides to every story," Eugene defense attorney Shaun McCrea told the jury during opening statements Tuesday. Brooks faces misdemeanor charges of harassment and fourth-degree assault stemming from former dispatcher Mary Ann Siegel�s allegations that Brooks injured her wrist on July 5. Judge Melvin Ferguson, a pro-tem judge from Klamath Falls, is presiding over the trial, which continues this morning at the Jackson County courthouse. The trial is expected to continue until Thursday. Opening statements confirmed earlier reports that the alleged assault in the police station break room came after Siegel corrected Brooks� pronunciation of the word yarmulke, a Jewish skullcap. Brooks allegedly twisted Siegel�s right wrist, causing injury to a bone at the base of her thumb. Siegel, who had worked for the department three months, spent two weeks on medical leave and quit her job in September, citing a hostile work environment. Brooks, an Ashland police officer for 12 years, was fired in August after a month on administrative leave. Lane County Deputy District Attorney Buzz Mattson � who is prosecuting the case to avoid any potential of conflict for the local district attorney�s office � argued the assault was a case of "workplace violence and intimidation." McCrea said the evidence will show Brooks was provoked by Siegel and "instinctively reacted." Siegel started the confrontation when she corrected Brooks� pronunciation, punched her shoulder and called her "stupid," McCrea said. "I never called her anything but Captain," Siegel testified. Siegel said she was wrapping up a busy graveyard shift at the time of the alleged assault, about 5:30 a.m. Siegel said she took a 911 call from a man who said there was an unknown man on his lawn yelling Jewish epithets and threatening to return with a gun to kill the caller�s wife. Many off-duty officers � including Brooks � were called to assist, and the man was taken into custody without incident. Later that morning, Siegel said she overheard a conversation between Brooks and Sgt. Mike Bianca, in which Brooks questioned how the suspect knew the couple he was menacing was Jewish, Siegel said. "Capt. Brooks said she wouldn�t have known they were Jewish because they didn�t have the little Jewish yarmulkes on," she said. Siegel, who is Jewish, said she touched Brooks� arm, looked her in the eye and corrected her pronunciation. "Captain, the word is yarmulke," Siegel testified she said. Siegel said Brooks then grabbed and twisted her wrist and said, "Don�t ever do that to me again you little bitch, understand." Siegel will resume her testimony this morning. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Sara Murphy at 482-4655, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.