Three Houston police officers have been assigned desk duties as city and federal authorities scrutinize the arrest of a local Chinese diplomat who says police hit him in the face during a traffic stop last weekend at the Chinese Consulate.

The Chinese government responded to last Saturday's arrest of Houston deputy Consul General Boren Yu, who said a security camera recorded the incident, with a call for a speedy investigation. China also noted that “solemn exchanges” had passed between China and the U.S. as a result of the incident. Under the Vienna Convention, local law officers are prohibited from entering foreign diplomatic offices in all but the most extreme circumstances.

Mayor Annise Parker, in announcing the officers' re­assignment on Friday, praised Police Chief Charles McClelland's handling of the case.

“This is important, as Houston has the third-largest number of consulates in the country,” Parker said. “We cherish our international residents and want to assure them they are welcome in our city.”

Reassigned to desk duties were Central Patrol Division officers Timothy Riley Jr., Quang Tran and Victor Olivares. Riley has been with the department since 2008; Tran and Olivares since last year.

Cuffed, but later released

In an interview Friday, Yu said he was traveling with his wife in a consulate vehicle when he saw a patrol car with flashing lights behind him. Yu said he stopped and waited several minutes, but drove off when the officer stayed in his car and took no apparent action.

Yu said he drove to the Chinese Consulate in the 3400 block of Montrose. When Yu drove through the consulate's automatic garage gate, the police car followed him.

Yu said he “made it clear” he was a Chinese diplomat, but the officer handcuffed him anyway. Yu said the officer struck him in the face, but he did not address the circumstances or specify when the alleged assault took place. Yu also suffered hand and neck injuries, according to a co-worker at the consulate.

Roberta MacInnis, a Houston Chronicle features editor, said she was shopping at a nearby business when she saw an HPD officer lying on top of a handcuffed man who was face-down in the garage.

Yu said the entire episode was captured on tape by a garage security camera. He and his wife later were released at the scene.

A source familiar with the officers' version of events said Yu's vehicle was spotted about 4:30 p.m. Saturday traveling a short distance from the consulate without a rear license plate. With the police car following with flashing lights, the vehicle wound through Montrose for about five minutes before entering the consulate garage.

As the officer exited his patrol car, the source said, Yu greeted him with loud curses.

A consulate spokesman said Yu's rear license plate had been stolen, but the diplomat thought having a front plate was enough. Texas law requires front and rear plates.

Aaron Suder, staff attorney with the Houston Police Officers Union, dismissed Yu's claim of a police assault as “categorically false.”

“When and if there's a video that's made public we are absolutely confident that the actions of the police officers involved will be justified,” he said.

Question of jurisdiction

Unresolved Friday was whether city police had jurisdiction on consulate property. Parker reported police said they were unaware they were on property owned by the Chinese government.

The consulate has a large sign and usually flies the Chinese flag. The garage has a smaller sign designating it as consulate property.

Under the Vienna Convention of Consular Relations, police can enter a consulate's property only by the invitation or to protect the consulate from a grave threat such as a fire or mass shooting, said South Texas College of Law professor Geoffrey Corn.

“If they thought the person they were pursuing was dangerous to consular staff,” he said, “there's a provision that says permission is presumed. But this is nothing like that.”

Parker said McClelland has issued a directive that all beat officers receive the address of every consulate in the city.

Houston City Councilman Al Hoang, who represents a heavily Chinese-American district, Friday praised the Parker administration's handling of the case. “The Chinese Consulate has a great relationship with our city and I know that relationship will continue,” he said. “

The State Department is looking into the incident, said agency spokeswoman Joanne Moore. “The department takes this incident very seriously and has been in touch with the Chinese Embassy about what occurred.”

Chronicle reporters Mike Glenn and Allan Turner contributed to this report.

moises.mendoza@chron.com

bradley.olson@chron.com