Family Questions Sonoma Deputies Shooting Of Teen

SONOMA CO: UPDATE: DEPUTIES IDENTIFIED IN TEEN BOY'S SHOOTING DEATH
03/13/07 10:05 PDT

SANTA ROSA (BCN)

The Santa Rosa Police Department identified John Misita and Jim Ryan as the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department deputies who shot and killed 16-year-old Jeremiah Chass at his Sebastopol area home Monday morning.

According to a news release from Santa Rosa police Sgt. Lisa Banayat, family members of the Analy High School student were attempting to take Chass to the hospital on the advice of mental health professionals when an altercation broke out and a call was made to the Sebastopol Police Department around 8:36 a.m. Monday.

Banayat reported that after an attempt to transfer the call to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department failed, the sheriff's department called the residence, at 1474 High School Road. The phone was answered and the dispatcher reported hearing screaming in the background. A small child screaming was also noted by dispatchers, according to Banayat.

According to Banayat, the dispatchers heard someone who sounded like a child saying, 'Let go of me.' Another voice was heard saying 'I'll kill him, I'll kill the child,' Banayat reported. According to Santa Rosa police, a struggle was heard in the background and at 8:48 a.m., when deputies arrived, the dispatch record indicates a struggle being heard and deputies were heard saying 'Let go of the knife!' and 'Drop the knife.' According to Banayat, at 8:50 a.m., shots were recorded and the deputies said on the radio that one deputy might be stabbed and one had a broken nose. At 9 a.m., according to Banayat, Chass was pronounced dead by ambulance personnel.

According to Banayat's statement, Chass's family was trying to take him to the hospital Monday morning on the advice of mental health professionals due to "recent irrational and delusional behavior." When Chass's family tried to get him into the minivan, he reportedly "became violent and refused," according to Banayat. According to Banayat, Chass obtained a tool with a 2.5 inch blade, went into the car where his 6-year-old brother was seated and reportedly held his brother with one hand while he held the knife in the other hand.

Banayat reports that the altercation continued in the van, with the family and later, when the deputies arrived. Family members and deputies tried to get control of Chass but were not able to, Banayat reported.

According to Banayat, deputies used pepper spray to try to subdue Chass, reportedly to no effect. Deputies also used a baton to knock Chass's hand, Banayat said. According to police, no one was able to disarm Chass of the knife and he reportedly began to kick both deputies in the face and chest. According to Banayat, one of the deputies began to bleed from the face and feared that he would lose consciousness. It was then, according to Banayat, that the deputy fired his gun at Chass, striking him. According to Banayat, Chass was still reportedly waving the knife, kicking and yelling at the deputies. The second deputy then fired at Chass and Chass stopped fighting, Banayat reported. The deputies then applied first aid to Chass, with medical personnel arriving two minutes later, Banayat said. Chass died shortly afterwards.

Deputy Misita has 25 years of experience and Deputy Ryan has 19 years of experience, according to Banayat.

According to Santa Rosa police, the dispatch tape recording the altercation will not be released while the case is under investigation and future requests for it should be directed to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department.

According to Banayat, crime scene investigators are continuing to collect evidence and the final results of evidence collection and analysis of it will take several weeks. The Violent Crime Investigators and the Sonoma County District Attorney's office are assisting in the investigation, Banayat reports.

Officer Cardoza, residing in Petaluma, alledgely found 5 teens steeling gas on his Petaluma property. The off-duty officer fired 2 loaded weapons at a truck with 5 teenagers in it. His bullet his the driver side-view mirror, inches from my sons head. Why didn't he aim for the tires? Why would anyone in their right mind, shoot at a truck full of teenagers, FOR STEALING GAS. When was bacl-up called? Why weren't the sheriff helicopters out looking for this truck full of teens. And just for the record, Officer Cardoza approached the truck with TWO fully loaded pistols, FOR GAS THIEVES. With 2 loaded pistols, I'd say this lunatic, poor excuse for a human being, had EVERY INTENTION of shooting and killing teens for steeling gas. The officer is a psycopath and should be handed over to the parents of the teenage victims, so they can decide the proper punishment . I wonder if Officer Cardoza has children. He is a cockroach and should be treated as suck. My son was the driver of the truck. Give me 5 minutes with Officer Ryan. I'd like to see him suck on the barrel of the gun he shot at my son., and I'd like to have the pleasure of of doing it myself. Signed Diane Kauth