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Indybay Feature

Salinas Police Release Names of Officers Who Killed Residents in 2014

by Monterey County Police News
The Salinas Police Department sent a letter to various media outlets today releasing the names of the officers involved in killing four Latino Salinas residents in separate incidents this year. The department had delayed releasing the names due to what they called "threats," but now says those threats have subsided. In each shooting, a Sergeant with 10-years or more of service with the SPD was one of the shooters. SPD continues to claim investigations are still ongoing into these killings.
salinas_police_killings_2014.pdf_600_.jpg
Angel Ruiz, killed on March 20, 2014
Officers who killed him: Sergeant Mark Lazzarini, Officer Daniel DeBorde, and Officer William Yetter, all of the Salinas Police Department.

Osman Hernandez, killed on May 9, 2014
Officers who killed him: Sergeant George Lauricella and Officer Derek Gibson, both of the Salinas Police Department.

Carlos Mejia-Gomez, killed on May 20, 2014
Officers who killed him: Sergeant Danny Warner and Officer Josh Lynd, both of the Salinas Police Department.

Frank Miguel Alvarado, killed on July 10, 2014
Officers who killed him: Sergeant Brian Johnson and Officer Scott Sutton, both of the Salinas Police Department.
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by John Colby (john.roncohen.colby [at] gmail.com)
They sent this letter to Peter Scheer, Director of the First Amendment Coalition, who I often carbon copy my government correspondence to.

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-scheer/5/6a1/118

Question: did a Freedom of Information (FOI) lawsuit compel the Salinas Police Department to release the names of the officers who killed Salinas residents in 2014?

From a Santa Cruz perspective, we need FOI lawsuits to compel the release of the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) investigations into the incidents listed for SCPD Chief Kevin Vogel:

https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2013/11/29/why_does_the_scpd_discriminate_against_disabled_people.pdf
by John Colby (john.roncohen.colby [at] gmail.com)
I've had to educate certain stubborn posters before that the California Public Records Act (CPRA) is a Freedom of Information (FOI) law. The federal Freedom of Information Act is commonly referred to as the FOIA. But FOI refers to laws, activities and requests which are about government openness, transparency and accountability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_information

I urge readers to join this Facebook group to learn more about FOI issues:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenTransparentAccountableGovernment/
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