Police Union bills shield misbehaving Cops

The first, SB 313, would make it tough for police agencies and sheriff's departments from punishing officers who have been found by district attorney's offices to have lied or behaved in other dishonorable ways. The bill nevertheless passed overwhelmingly in both houses and is back in the Legislature where an amendment favored by police chiefs and sheriffs associations is being considered. Those groups had previously opposed the bill, given that it would make it tough for them to root out bad cops.

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Current law forbids the public from having access to the disciplinary records of misbehaving officers. The union-allied group that sponsored the bill, PORAC (the Peace Officers Research Association of California) has paid for the legal defense of officers accused of terrible behavior. And it's already difficult to fire bad employees because of the Peace Officers Bill of Rights and other protections.

Protesters vow independent Andy Lopez investigation

Source: The Press Democrat

Activists protesting the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Andy Lopez by a Sonoma County sheriff's deputy said Tuesday they will gather evidence independently from the official investigation and present it directly to the county's district attorney.

Following a small march through Santa Rosa — the sixth in two weeks since the shooting — a delegation of protesters met for about 30 minutes with District Attorney Jill Ravitch and told her they intend to hold a “People's Tribunal” at 1 p.m. Saturday in Juilliard Park in Santa Rosa to collect witness statements and other evidence.

“We will present a mound of evidence in this case,” organizer Jonathan Melrod said after the meeting. “Nobody will have the wool pulled over their eyes; there won't be a whitewash.”

Ravitch confirmed that she would accept outside information from anyone, in addition to the official investigation led by the Santa Rosa Police Department.

Read more: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20131105/articles/131109790?title=Protesters-vow-independent-Andy-Lopez-investigation

DA Jill Ravitch meets with protesters from Andy Lopez shooting

DA Jill Ravitch meets with protesters

A delegation of marchers met with District Attorney Jill Ravitch for about 30 minutes Tuesday afternoon as the crowd rallied outside. Organizer Jonathan Melrod said the group had demanded that Ravitch convene a grand jury to look into the shooting or that she charge Gelhaus in connection with the death. They said she declined, saying both actions were premature while the investigation is ongoing by the Santa Rosa police and other agencies.

She did agree, however, to look at any evidence that protestors might gather independently, he said. Melrod said organizers are planning a “people’s tribunal” on Saturday at Juilliard Park in Santa Rosa to collect witness statements and other evidence.

“We will present a mound of evidence in this case,” he said. “Nobody will have the wool pulled over their eyes; there won’t be a whitewash.”

The organizers said they are also demanding that the field next to which Lopez was walking when he was shot be made into a park in the youth’s honor. The vacant lot has already become an informal memorial, covered with signs, mementos, and one large altar-like structure topped with a high cross.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20131105/articles/131109790

Andy Lopez Family Files Federal Lawsuit, Claiming Violation of Fourth Amendment

Source: NBC Bay Area

The parents of a 13-year-old Santa Rosa boy killed by a sheriff's deputy who thought the airsoft rifle he was carrying was real has filed a lawsuit over their son's death, claiming the deputy who shot him used excessive force and had a history of "reckless" acts.

Andy Lopez was a "charismatic kid" who was "shot without provocation or cause," in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights, according to the suit (PDF), which Rodrigo Lopez and Sujey Cruz Casarez filed Monday in San Francisco federal court.

They are represented by Casillas, Moreno and Associates, based in Montebello, Calif., which won a $24 million verdict after a Los Angeles police officer there shot a 13-year-old boy playing cops and robbers, leaving him paralyzed.

At a news conference with their lawyers, Andy's father asked for "justice," and relatives wiped away tears. Attorney Arnoldo Casillas said the lawsuit over Andy Lopez's death will ensure an "honest" investigation into what happened.


Read more: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Andy-Lopez-Family-to-File-Federal-Lawsuit-Claiming-Violation-of-Fourth-Amendment-230501401.html

Thoughts of Andy Lopez – 13yr old boy shot by Sheriff

Right away this conversation will lead to arguments of “The Orange Tip, the Orange tip” which really doesn’t hold a lot of water as I’ll explain below. 2nd – contrary to what many here may believe I AM a staunch supporter of 2nd amendment rights an avid hunter, and a US Army VOLENTER Vietnam Vet. Although I believe the current perversion towards assault weapons is a threat to every American’s Second amendment Rights and have advocated as such for over 15 yrs

Yes the orange tip of the TOY had broken off as Andy Lopez’s sister explained to news reporters. It wasn’t intentionally to make the toy appear to be a weapon, and NO – Andy’s parents didn’t buy him a realistic looking toy weapon. It belonged to a friend and he was in the process of returning it when this terrible tragedy happened.

And No – my first impression of Eric Gelhaus isn’t a negative one and more importantly he was brought into the tragic scenario for the SAME reasons Andy Lopez was

Now we will have the calls to impose even more legislation to prevent toy manufactures from making such realistic weapons and kids wanting to play with them - Just try and stop them.

We as a country IDOLIZE our Rambos, our Terminators, our Military members engaged in lopsided conflicts occupying impoverished countries. TV, Movies, News Media, and the Gun Culture alike embellish Machine Guns, Assualt rifles, and Seal Team 6 taking out Osama Bin Laudin complete with a shot through the eyeball by a commando armed with the latest Hightech killing gear the US Military has to offer – all in real time complete with video.

What you expect Kids NOT to want to be what we as a country and parents actively idolize ??? Shit out here in California we even elected the Terminator as Governor.

So here we have Eric Gelhaus, who has bought into the same culture America’s perpetual recruitment of Bullet Stoppers for the Military Industrial Complex his whole life. Served in the Army National Guard, tours in Iraq, 24yr veteran of the Sheriffs Dept. and as directed by his Superior Officers in Iraq conducted Search and Destroy Missions (patrols) looking for Armed Insurgents with orders to engage on site.

He must have had a lot of adrenalin pumping that day he engaged Andy Lopez because he had to ignore several very alarming facts. It takes 2 hands to reposition the trigger finger from the “Stock” of an AK47 to the pistol grip, which btw is the only way Andy could been perceived as a threat. And 2nd the Supreme Court decision regarding Officer’s use of Deadly Force require the officer to FIRST identify themselves as Law Enforcement – as well as his request to drop the perceived weapon.

So was Eric Gelhaus in Iraq or America because that is the difference. Which leaves us with Eric Gelhaus’s superiors once again.

Due to California Law the Local Sheriff is in full control of the media. He decides what is released to the media and what is not and so far he has conducted a fairly extensive campaign to blame the victim. The Sheriffs Department has confiscated cell phone video of the event, and has refused to interview or acknowledge 1st hand witnesses to the event with contradictory testimony. First reports to the media said the FBI was conducting a separate investigation only to be later contradicted by reports they were merely assisting the Sheriffs Dept.

And some people wonder why the kids are protesting demanding Justice for Andy

It is a much larger problem that will continue until state laws are changed and America Defunds the Military Industrial Complex.

But there you have it – Call me a Libtard and Move On – Nothing to see here folks – just a 13yr old boy murdered for our country’s perpetual quest for military conflict

Jailhouse for Gelhaus - Cop who shot 13yr old

Geez - what's a Murderous POS to do

https://m.facebook.com/events/453673188077309/

Guy ain't gettin a break

Lopez attorney: Sheriff's office 'encourages' use of deadly force

Source: THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

As a large wooden shrine sprung up Friday in the southwest Santa Rosa lot where a sheriff's deputy killed Andy Lopez last week, an attorney for the teen's family outlined the framework of a federal civil rights lawsuit the family intends to file next week.

Arnoldo Casillas, the attorney representing the Lopez family, said the Oct. 22 shooting was unconstitutional because it violated the Fourth Amendment's limits on police authority.

The family will file a lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco contending that Deputy Erick Gelhaus shot Lopez “without reasonable cause,” Casillas said in a statement. The shooting, he said, resulted from “an unconstitutional custom and practice” of the use of deadly force by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

The family made similar allegations in a tort claim filed Thursday with the county. In that claim, Casillas alleged the “sheriff's department's training encourages deputies to prematurely shoot suspects who pose no threat or danger to deputies or the public at large.”


Read more: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20131101/articles/131109983

Huge rally held for Santa Rosa teen killed by deputy

Andy Lopez Family Files Claim vs. Sonoma County; Deputy "Emotional" After Shooting

Source: By Lisa Fernandez

Lawyers for the family of a 13-year-old Santa Rosa boy carrying a replica rifle and killed by a deputy when he said the teen wouldn’t put it down, have filed three claims against Sonoma County and plan to file a federal lawsuit in the wake of the boy’s death.

In the claims, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, the firm of Moreno, Becerra and Casillas, based in Montebello, Calif., allege that the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office failed to develop proper policies and training for pedestrian stops, and that it negligently hired and continued to employ the deputies involved in the shooting.

The Sonoma County Counsel on Friday did not return a comment to NBC Bay Area seeking comment.

The claims, filed on behalf of Andy Lopez's parents, seek unspecified damages for loss of financial support, funeral and burial expenses, the value of household services the boy would have provided and for the loss of Lopez's “love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society and moral support.”


Read more: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Andy-Lopez-Family-Files-Claim-vs-Sonoma-County-Deputy-Emotional-After-Shooting-Report-230244931.html

Cop who shot 13 yr old Boy, Mentally Unstable trained himself to shoot for Less then Justified

Sonoma County Sheriffs Dept. who is in complete control of which information is released in this investigation (by Calif State Law) and what information is not, is trying to justify the Mentally Unstable Condition of the shooter who shot the unarmed 13 yr old boy for carrying a toy gun. Once again blaming the victim.

Just like you don’t always see the whole animal when hunting, you may not always see the whole weapon – or even a lot of it – in low light. Look for the parts.

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=2058