Featured

Families of Police Victims Demand End to Slow Release of Coroner’s Reports

Published

8 years ago

April 1, 2016

The Anti Police-Terror Project, in partnership with families who have lost loved ones to police violence, has launched a campaign calling for the Alameda County Sheriff’s department to release coroner’s reports in police-involved deaths within 30 days.

This demand comes after it took several months and legal involvement of the families of Yuvette Henderson and Richard Perkins to receive the reports of their loved ones’ deaths.

In the case of Henderson, a Black grandmother who was killed by Emeryville police after allegedly shoplifting and suffering from an assault inside Home Depot, it took eight months for the coroner’s report to be given to her family.

Richard Perkins was killed by Oakland police in November of last year while watching a side show and holding a replica toy pellet gun. His family waited four months to receive the coroner’s report.

“We think that 30 days is a reasonable time to get a coroner’s report and to run an investigation to determine what happened,” said Cat Brooks of the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP).

“When we got (Perkins’) report, we looked at it and saw that it only took two days after his death for it to be filed,” said Brooks. “There is absolutely no reason why they couldn’t get that family his report sooner.”

According to members of APTP, the delay in releasing reports in police-involved cases points to collusion between the Sheriff’s department and local police departments.

“You only have so long to file a civil lawsuit,” Brooks said. “If you miss that time frame, you can’t do anything, and it makes it harder for families to get a lawsuit together and dispute (police) claims.”

In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Lt. Riddick Bowers of the Sheriff’s department defended the length of time it takes to get out a coroner’s report, saying “The public is done a disservice by rushing an investigation, by adhering to some kind of arbitrary deadline.”

Yet according to Brooks, the justification for the time length doesn’t hold up since in both Henderson and Perkins’ cases the coroner’s report was released the day before APTP had planned demonstrations at the coroner’s office for the reports to be released.

Further demands by APTP include investigating possible collusion between the Alameda County Sheriff’s department and the Oakland Police Department, the release of the entire video series relating to Perkins’ death and to bring in an outside investigator to investigate his death.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.