By Ken Epstein

David Pokorny, 45, of El Cerrito, has been charged with mailing racist death threats to Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee.

Arrested last week, Pokorny faces a felony for threatening a public official and also hate-crime allegations. He has pleaded not guilty.

The first email, sent Sept. 7, used racial slurs to refer to Black Oakland residents. The sender threatened to kill them, as well as government officials, including Lee, police officers, and judges.

The most recent email, sent Sept. 21, directly threatened Lee: “You are a psychopath,” the sender wrote, “and I’m going to torture and murder you.”

Responding, Mayor Lee said, “Violence has no place in our city or our democracy. Intimidation and hate will not silence Oakland public servants or the communities we represent. We will continue to do the people’s work — regardless of circumstances.”

Pokorny was arrested Oct. 7 in Southern California and booked into Santa Rita Jail. As of Wednesday, he remained in custody, with bail set at $70,000.

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By Craig J. DeLuz, Special to California Black Media Partners 

President Trump’s recent announcement regarding federal control of the Washington, D.C. police force is a bold and necessary step toward confronting the rampant crime that has plagued our nation’s capital. This decision resonates strongly, especially in light of the ever-mounting statistics that tell a grim tale of safety in the District. The persistent narrative attempting to downplay the crime crisis in D.C. must be challenged, as doing so is irrelevant to pursuing real solutions.

President Trump acknowledged a longstanding problem and took action to address it.

For years, D.C. has wrestled with a heinous crime rate. In 2023 alone, the city recorded 200 homicides at its fastest pace ever, leading to an alarming murder rate that surpasses even that of cities like Bogotá, Colombia and Mexico City, Mexico – Latin American capitals notorious for their violence. The statistics are damning: the number of car thefts has doubled, while carjackings have more than tripled in just five years. These figures paint a plain picture of reality, contradicting claims from local officials who have, time and again, insisted that everything is “just fine.” This level of denial, akin to sticking one’s head in the sand, and it does not pave a path to real solutions. It only fosters a dangerous environment in which citizens feel less secure.

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President Trump has invoked the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, asserting his constitutional authority — something very much in line with the founding principles that establish congressional oversight over the nation’s capital. By mobilizing 800 members of the National Guard to rein in crime, he is not only prioritizing public safety but also challenging the status quo that has allowed D.C. to spiral into lawlessness.

The President’s concern for safety is echoed in a recent Washington Post poll, which reveals that Black and low-income residents of D.C. are particularly alarmed about the rising crime rates, highlighting a troubling disconnect between prevailing political narratives and the lived experiences of vulnerable communities.

President Trump’s strategy — to increase police presence and reshape law enforcement authority — is reminiscent of practical measures that stemmed from the “Broken Windows Theory,” which posits that addressing small problems can prevent larger ones from manifesting. The idea is straightforward: if the community can see that law enforcement is actively engaged, the likelihood of crime decreases. This concept has been proven time and again in other cities, where policing strategies that insist on accountability and visible enforcement lead to substantial drops in criminal behavior.

President Trump’s decisive action to reclaim control over the policing of Washington, D.C. deserves acknowledgment and support. It is a response based on hard truths, action, and a clear message: safety and well-being cannot wait for the next convenient political cycle. As the President suggested, “we want our Capitol back.” That means stepping up and refusing to accept a narrative of complacency when real-world dangers lurk just outside our doors. Only through leadership that prioritizes immediate and tangible responses can we hope to see a decline in crime and a restoration of peace in our nation’s capital.

About the Author 

Craig J. DeLuz has almost 30 years of experience in public policy and advocacy. He currently hosts a daily news and commentary show called “The RUNDOWN.” You can follow him on X at @CraigDeLuz.

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By Carla Thomas

On Aug. 19, families impacted by police violence and organizations from several cities across California rallied in front of the Attorney General’s offices to protest Rob Bonta’s failure to investigate the murder of Jalani Lovett.

Born and raised in Oakland, Lovett was arrested in 2019 and died in 2021 after being held in Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail.

He was in the custody of the notorious 3000 Boys sheriff’s gang, a group linked to the deaths of many other inmates. And while his body showed signs of severe physical trauma, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department labeled Lovett’s death as a drug overdose, although he no access to drugs while in solitary confinement.

Terry Lovett, Jalani’s mother, has been fighting for a proper investigation into her son’s death for four years. She has repeatedly reached out to Bonta, asking him to act since the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) refuses to investigate itself. Organizers say that, despite his campaign promises to step up investigation of in-custody deaths, Bonta has refused to take any action on Jalani Lovett’s case.

Terry Lovett, along with a coalition of police-accountability organizations, families impacted by police violence, trade unions, and concerned community members that support her, organized the state-wide day of action. The organizers rallied in front of Bonta’s offices in San Diego and Los Angeles, and delivered a scroll of over 1,200 signatures of Californians who demand transparency to the office in downtown Oakland.

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Lin, an organizer for Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (OAARPR), said the demands include that Bonta hold a meeting with Terry Lovett to discuss her findings from her own investigation into Jalani’s death, the removal of all security holds on Jalani’s records, and access to all reports and records involving Jalani’s death.

“Jail isn’t supposed to be a death sentence,” said Terry Lovett about her son. “Just because he was in jail doesn’t mean you had the right to take his life. You are still supposed to have rights in prison, and the Attorney General’s job is to protect those rights.”

She added that Californians can’t afford to ignore this violation of her son’s rights. “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Lovett emphasized that this fight isn’t just about her son, but part of a broader fight against the terrible violence experienced by California prisoners. “California prisoners have the highest rate of in-custody deaths in the country, with a staggering 120 deaths listed as ‘unnatural causes’ in 2025 alone,” said Lovett. Anyone can end up in prison like her son,   Lovett said, and that all Californians have reason to be worried about the issue. Jelani’s sister, Yvette Martin, was also present.

Terry Lovett is supported by ILWU Locals 10 and 34, OAARPR, Dignity & Power Now, The Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego, Open Police Archives and Oakland Jericho, and BART workers from the ATU Local 1555.

Many families that have lost a loved one to police violence from around the Bay Area attended the rally, including Kathryn Wade, and Denise Friday, among others.

Kathryn Wade, the mother of  Malad Baldwin, who was beaten by law enforcement in Antioch, cried as she explained the harassment and beatings of her son at the hands of law enforcement. “We need justice for everyone” she said with her grandson, Sirlod, age 8. “My grandson has no father because of the racism and harassment in these systems. Justice for Jelani.”

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