Police
About 20 people gathered in Richmond’s Nicholl Park on Wednesday to remember those who died in police custody or in a police shooting, as part of the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality. Twenty other cities held similar protests, part of a growing movement organized by national organizations Dare to Struggle and Families Demanding Justice. This time last year, only six other cities had engaged in the nationwide protest, according to Dare to Struggle. “There have been thousands…
More than a dozen Richmond Police Department officers, staff and supporters used the public comment period of Tuesday’s City Council meeting to ask the city to fill dozens of Police Department vacancies, saying understaffing has forced many officers to work double shifts and even sleep at the station. But when Lt. George McLoughlin used his turn at the microphone to call for the return of two officers who were put on leave last month after the fatal shooting of 27-year-old…
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Wednesday that his office is investigating the fatal shooting Tuesday by Richmond police at a railroad right-of-way off of Carlson Boulevard. It is not clear how many officers were involved in the shooting, which left one person, who was not armed, dead. Police have not released that person’s identity. The Richmond Police Department said in a news release Tuesday that it had referred the case to the Attorney General’s Office as required when an…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Do you think Richmond has enough police officers? Chris Zarete “No. I don’t think so. I think they can definitely beef up a little bit maybe for their safety and for others’ safety as well. There’s certain areas of Richmond where it’s not really safe. And I’m sure as a police officer,…
Nearly a year after Richmond police shot and killed Kevin James McDonald while serving a search warrant on a home in Point Richmond, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton has ruled the use of force “lawful and justified.” No charges will be filed against Sgt. Alex Caine and Detective Robert Branch, who fired several shots at McDonald, 66, as he pointed an assault rifle at them in a bedroom, according to the district attorney’s report released Friday. Becton concluded…
In the two months since the state Attorney General’s Office publicized arrests in a human trafficking sting with local agencies, including the Richmond Police Department, no charges have been filed in Contra Costa County and authorities remain tight-lipped about the mysterious case. In Richmond, two suspected traffickers were arrested, four citations were issued for solicitation of prostitution, and one firearm was recovered, according to Lt. Donald Patchin. Through a public record request, Richmond Confidential found that four people were arrested…
At 15, Demaria was arrested for carrying a gun to school and was sent to West County Detention Facility for 10 days. Tall in stature and brusque in manner, Demaria said he remembers the nights there as lonely. “The lights were switched off at 10 p.m., and you couldn’t distract yourself with a book or anything else,” he said. To avoid any chance of returning to juvenile hall, Demaria — whom Richmond Confidential is identifying only by his first name…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Do you think the Richmond Police Department should fill its 23 vacancies or eliminate those positions? “Based on my own personal experience, of course, I don’t know if I want all 23 filled. I feel like we could have a certain percentage filled and then possibly divert money toward more mental health…
Still pushing for prosecution, Pedie Perez family helps train Richmond officers to avoid using force
Rick Perez wanted Richmond’s new police officers to see his son’s face and remember it when they go into the field. So he brought a photo of Richard, called Pedie by family and friends, and held it up as he faced Officers Ruben Ramirez, Mikail Meadors and Robert Carlos on the other side of a conference table at the Richmond Police Department last week. “My son was 24 at the time. You guys are probably real close to that age.”…