AP
Lt. Johan Simon, a decorated member of the Richmond Police Department who some thought of as a potential candidate for chief of police, instead gained a more dubious distinction during the divisive early period of Chief Chris Magnus’ tenure atop the organization. He was the first officer ever to be put on a “threat assessment,” a city labor safety practice aimed at quashing workplace violence, according to testimony Wednesday in a Martinez courtroom. Why Simon, then a 26-year veteran of…
A lot of Betty Reid Soskin’s emotions find articulate outlets. Ninety years of life, a sharp memory and a lucid mind do that for her. Standing in late February at the last exhibit of the free tour she gives every few weeks of the Rosie the Riveter Memorial National Park, Soskin shared with her tour group why this place is so important. “It’s amazing how far ahead than the rest of the country the Bay Area is, and people have…
Crossroads is a multi-part immigration series covering issues in the East Bay.
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“We’re trying to hit the community where we’re hemorrhaging the most, and that’s these young men,” said Pastor Henry Washington at a planning session last week. Washington is a core member of Ceasefire/Lifelines to Healing—a renowned violence prevention program set to launch in Richmond later this week.
After more than a week on the witness stand, Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus’ last day of testimony as a defendant was one of more questions from the plaintiff’s attorneys—and from the jury. “Do you have any friends in the Richmond Police Department?” was one question that came from the jury, read by the judge. Magnus spent the day of testimony answering questions from Stephen Jaffe, attorney for six of the plaintiffs, and Jonathan Matthews, attorney for the seventh, Lt….
Just over a year ago, an oasis blossomed in a rundown Richmond neighborhood off of Highway 580. Cars speed by on the busy freeway overhead and the Safeway Beverage packing plant, large and industrial, looms within eyesight. But here at the Self-Sustaining Communities garden, chickens peck at nubs of grass, a pair of rabbits dart in and out of their burrow, and, if you listen closely, you might hear a faint buzz. Thousands of bees flit between the nearby plants…
After more than a month of proceedings, one of Richmond’s biggest murder trials in years is in the jury’s hands. Closing arguments Thursday painted two starkly different pictures of the evidence against Joe Blacknell III. The 21-year-old south Richmond native is accused of 22 felonies, including the March 2009 murder of rap artist Marcus Russell, and a daylong spree of shootings and carjackings six months later. Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts, who has called more than 50 witnesses since the…
North Richmond is unique, and it’s a place with heart. That was the undeniable theme Wednesday night, as about 200 people packed City Council chambers for the premiere of “An Exploration of Our History, North Richmond Part 4,” a documentary produced by filmmaker Doug Harris and more than a dozen young people from the neighborhood. “This film represents the final piece,” Harris told the audience, which brimmed with civic leaders and dozens of community members seen in the film. “I…
Joe Blacknell III’s mother took the stand in his defense Wednesday, testifying that her son is a hip-hop fan and father of three, and not a violent gang member who killed one man and wounded at least four others in 2009, as police and prosecutors allege. “You guys make him out to be this,” said Celeste Sipp, in response to Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts’ questions about photos that appear to show Blacknell throwing gang signs. “I don’t know him…