Page 7 - Sonoma County Gazette - June 2018

LETTERS cont’d from page 6
miles, two city police departments, 600 employees and two jails) and is likely to be at the forefront of federal immigration challenges.
we need, of succeeding in the worst of circumstances. He was an LAPD station commander in 1992 when riots broke out following the beating of Rodney King. He was able to mediate between cops and communities, to defuse tensions and rebuild trust,
We have a unique opportunity
to bring 21st century, community- based policing to Sonoma County, evolving from a warrior to a guardian mentality, ensuring that each and every resident is treated with respect. It won’t come our way again soon.
and thereafter dedicated himself to bringing forward new initiatives in community-based policing, both in LA and nationwide.
Vote for change on June 5th. Vote for John Mutz.
He has an impressive list of endorsements, from members of law enforcement and local elected officials to well-respected community leaders, including our local Democratic Party, the Latino Political Action Committee of Sonoma County, the Press- Democrat, the Argus-Courier, as well as other local news, community, and labor organizations.
Sandy Reynolds, President, Santa Rosa Democratic Club
Therese Horsting, Michele Larkey, Co-Chairs Democratic Club of Southern Sonoma County
Tom Amato, President Oakmont Democratic Club
It’s hard to overstate the importance of this choice. The sheriff leads our county’s largest law enforcement agency (responsible for 1,550 square
Beth Hadley, President , Sonoma Valley Democratic Club
Rick Massell, President , Windsor/ North County Democratic Club
Caroline Banuelos, President Sonoma County Latino Democratic Club
OPINION: Death by Sonoma County Sheriffs
By Karen Saari
Recently, the Washington Post published their research on American police
deaths for 2017. They found that nearly 1,000 civilians had been killed--just from gunshot wounds. That does not include deaths while incarcerated, deaths caused by the use of excessive restraint methods, Tasers and beatings, deaths from high- speed car chases and suicides in the presence of police.
For the past 20+ years I have been tracking law enforcement related deaths here in Sonoma County. It shocks many people to learn that I have counted 101 such deaths so far. Of those, 66 are attributable to our Sheriff’s Department: 39 were deaths of jail inmates and 27 were “street deaths.” Of the 39 jail deaths, 10 were reported to be suicides. Eleven appear to be caused by the sudden withdrawal from long-term drug or alcohol use. Another eight seem to be from medical neglect, a common phenomena of incarceration nationwide.
After being forcibly removed from his cell, one inmate, Kenneth Suite, suffered a heart attack, entered a coma and died ten months later. I would call that a death by brutality. Sheriffs say that he became combative and had to be restrained; inmates say he was beaten to death. There is no public information available regarding the demise of the other eight. What we can say with a high degree of certainty is that these people would not have died when they did if they had not been incarcerated at the local jail.
Of the 27 “street deaths,” 15 people were shot to death. Four resulted from brutality, two people died as the result of high-speed car chases Another three died from Taser-related injuries. Three were reported as suicides committed in the presence of officers. At least 11 of the street deaths were initiated with a 911 call from a family member seeking assistance with a relative who was distraught or having a psychotic episode.
In looking over these deaths, some patterns emerge. One of the most significant is that instead of de-escalating a tense situation, deputies overreact making a
bad situation much, much worse. Jeremiah Chass, who was having a psychotic episode, was shot and killed within six minutes of deputies arriving at his home. Andy Lopez was shot and killed within three seconds (!!!) of a deputy spotting him carrying a toy rifle. For Glenn Swindell, an everyday domestic dispute rapidly became an armed siege. It lasted over 10 hours, brought out “upwards of 40 Sonoma County Sheriffs who threw concussion grenades, rammed an armored personal carrier/battering ram into the garage door, pumped CS gas into an enclosed attic” where Swindell cowered in fear for his life.
Without question, the most egregious behavior is found in the Sheriff’s Department, where reform, re-training and a new style of leadership is desperately needed. This kind of leadership cannot come from within a department that is failing on so many levels. It must come from outside.
That is why I support former Los Angeles police captain John Mutz, who has lived in Sonoma County for the past six years. He is an outsider who has spent much of the last 20 years engaged in a national effort to reform police procedures.
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