October 22 March in Santa Rosa

Local law enforcement is getting away with murder, literally. Since the
beginning of 2007 eight people have either been killed by or died in
the
custody of law enforcement agencies in Sonoma County. Local government
officials and even some community leaders have refused to hold police
accountable. The local media, specifically the Press Democrat, refuses
to
characterize denial of medical services to inmates at the county jail
resulting in death as brutality. The local media refuses to
characterize
emergency mental health help calls that result in a hail of bullets as
abuse. Law enforcement claims of fielding over 1000 calls a day go
completely unexamined. The law enforcement maintained gang database
functions a lot like Joe McCarthy's famed list of communists, no one
ever
gets to see it, or question it, or dispute their inclusion on it. The
Santa Rosa Unified School District collaborates with law enforcement to
criminalize Latino, Black, Asian and Native students by having them
sign
so-called gang contracts without parental notification. As mental
health
services are cut, police become providers of last resort, the county
jail
functions as an emergency treatment center. The public defenders office
routinely advises clients to plead guilty or no-contest and accept
community service or diversion, rather than secure a day in court for
their clients. The Sheriff's department continues to collaborate with
Immigration and Customs Enforcement to harass and criminalize immigrant
communities. Sheriff Cogbill refuses to meet with community members to
receive petitions against this collaboration. Sheriff Captain Dave
Edmonds
consistently deflects any criticism by claiming the community has been
unable to substantiate it's claims. Community requests for public
records
go ignored or are denied. Community members who step up to observe the
police in action are harassed and intimidated. Lawful requests that law
enforcement identify themselves go unfulfilled and ignored. Activists
are
threatened with bogus stalking charges or arrest for interfering with
an
officer, when legally observing police activities.

Haki Kuasi Gaidi Thurston -23- Died February 23, 2007 - after being
shot
27 times with assault rifles by SRPD Swat team (One of these officers,
Sgt. Richard Celli, also killed Richard DeSantis this year). Haki was
unarmed and running AWAY from police. Sgt. Richard Celli, Sgt. Stephen
Schwartz, Officer John Barr and Officer Brian Boettger.

Jeremiah Chass -16- Died March 12, 2007 - at his home after being shot
8
times by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputies while suffering a mental
health
crisis, armed only with a pocket knife, and locked in a minivan.

Richard Desantis -30- Died April 9, 2007 - in front of his home after
being shot twice with a handgun, a rifle and with plastic bullets by
Santa
Rosa Police, who were told by his wife in a clear and loud voice, that
this was a mental health emergency and that her husband was unarmed.
Officer Travis Menke, Sgt. Richard Celli, Officer Patricia Mann.

Walter L. Heller -55- Died April 22, 2007 - after suffering a brain
injury
as he fell to the ground in front of his home while unarmed, after
being
shot twice with Tasers by Petaluma Police Officers. Officers Gary
Buffo,
Jason Lechleiter and Dustin Rodrigues.

Luis Felipe Sanchez -27- Died May 4, 2007 – after being shot seven
times
by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputies after they entered the home of
his
girlfriend and cornered him in a bathroom. Deputies Mike Frank, Greg
Myers
and Joe Dulworth

Richard Lamont Williamson Jr. -54- Died June 17, 2007 - according to
the
Sheriff’s Department while suffering from withdrawal in the Sonoma
County
Main Adult Detention Facility.

Ryan George -22- Died July 9, 2007 - while suffering from sickle cell
anemia in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility after
repeated
requests by his family for treatment by his personal physician.

Gregorey William Townsley -46- Died September 24, 2007 – according
to the
Sheriff’s Department while suffering from withdrawal in the Sonoma
County
Main Adult Detention Facility. Mr. Townsley was a houseless resident of
Santa Rosa.

All of the officers involved in these killings are still on active
duty.
Sgt. Richard Celli routinely patrols downtown Santa Rosa. It is
reasonable
to question the wisdom and humanity of expecting a person who has
recently
killed another person to continue to function in the high stress life
and
death situations we expect law enforcement on the street to deal with.

In recent public forums and media interviews law enforcement officials
dismiss criticism as being without merit. The position offered by both
the
Santa Rosa Police Department and the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department
is
that both agencies have internal complaint procedures that are
adequate,
and that community groups critical of the police or Sheriff are unable
to
substantiate their claims. What both agencies and the media fail to
acknowledge is that as soon as a complaint passes into the hands of a
police agency or the Sheriff's department it becomes a sealed personnel
record. There is no way for the public to review the complaints filed
against the police or Sheriff's. Recent requests for these records by
community groups and individuals have been denied, stonewalled,and
ignored.

Local police agencies consistently portray themselves as the thin blue
line that separates bucolic Sonoma County life from some terrified
imagining of third world savagery. There is a law enforcement noise
machine that generates stacks of press releases daily, at the same time
as
law enforcement administrators refuse to allow their documents to be
reviewed by the public or media. An inflated and unexamined gang
database
is hauled out for mentioning in any situation imaginable, but this
database has never been critically reviewed. The criteria for inclusion
in
the database are obviously redundant and racist, for example familial
relation and where a subject lives are concurrent criteria. There are
exaggerated claims of over one thousand 911 calls being fielded by the
Santa Rosa police daily, but a flat refusal to show even redacted call
logs to concerned community members.

In short corruption and abuse of power are rampant, privileged sections
of
our community are unaware of these realities, or worse happily
complicit,
it is our work as Peace and Justice activists to turn this tide. For
more
information and on-going updates check: http://www.scdirectaction.org/copwatch