Articles Tagged With ‘police brutality’




DA says deadly Santa Maria police shooting was justified

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has concluded that last summer’s fatal shooting of a mentally ill Santa Maria man was a justifiable homicide. A report released by the district attorney’s office states three Santa Maria officers had reasonable... (Continue reading)

Family of man killed by police sues Santa Maria

The family of a man who was shot and killed last year by Santa Maria police officers has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, as well as its police department and five officers. Javier Gaona, 31, was armed with... (Continue reading)

Video shows Cal Poly police pinning man during disputed arrest

Many Cal Poly students are enraged over footage showing university police pinning a 21-year-old man to the ground outside a San Luis Obispo liquor store. Friends of the suspect allege an undercover officer placed him in a chokehold and tackled... (Continue reading)

California city to pay $4.9 million for killing of homeless man

The city of Fullerton has agreed to pay $4.9 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of a homeless man whom police beat to death in July 2011. [Reuters] Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old homeless man with... (Continue reading)

California officers arrested for abusing kids at Camp SLO

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s detectives arrested four Southern California police officers who are accused of physically abusing a total of 15 teens at a boot camp held at Camp San Luis Obipso in May. The arrests occurred on Tuesday... (Continue reading)

Man arrested for resisting arrest on Goleta video

A video purportedly showing police brutality in Goleta touches on a second policing trend that is causing concern among some citizens. Early Thursday morning, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies arrested 22-year-old Keenen Johnson in a motel parking lot. Deputies pursued... (Continue reading)

California officer wrestles pregnant woman to the ground

The ACLU has released footage of a California police officer tackling an eight-months pregnant woman and wrestling her to the ground. [LA Times] Charlena Michelle Cooks has just dropped off her daughter at elementary school when the Barstow police officer... (Continue reading)

California county settles after deputies beat man on video

San Bernardino County has agreed to pay $650,000 to a man whom sheriff’s deputies delivered a bruising after he led them on a wild chase by car, foot and horseback. [LA Times] As the chase ended, a news helicopter filmed... (Continue reading)

CHP officer recorded punching woman in the head on freeway

The California Highway Patrol is paying out $1.5 million to a 51-year-old great-grandmother who was punched in the head repeatedly by an officer on a Los Angeles freeway. [Huffington Post] On July 1, Marlene Pinnock was walking on an Interstate... (Continue reading)

Santa Barbara settles police brutality case

The Santa Barbara City Council agreed to pay a man $120,000 in a police brutality case that was settled out of court in just one of two cases filed against an officer who has since left the force. In 2011,... (Continue reading)