๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ.
We should be able to expect transparency and professionalism from law enforcement, arguably even more so when civilians are injured or killed.
Instead, what we too often receive is obfuscation and a closing of the ranks. Two recent articles (here and here) from ChicoSol have highlighted discrepancies in officer stories, substandard investigation practices, and failure to comply with subpoenas for relevant videos and other evidence in these cases.
There are plenty of reasons to believe the killing of Desmond Phillips, like the killings of Tyler Rushing and Stephen Vest, could have had a different outcome. It's reasonable for families and the community to ask for not only complete transparency about the killings themselves, but for Chico PD to work hand in hand with concerned citizens to evaluate whether things could have been done differently.
Could the outcome have been different with a mental health/crisis care professional involved? Could alternative non-lethal equipment have been used? Could better de-escalation training have helped? As well, non-lethal restraint options like Netguns and Bola Wraps have long been available. In the case of Stephen Vest, something like a beanbag shotgun could have been deployed and was available to officers, but they didn't have it with them. Why?
To make matters worse, Chico PD and DA Mike Ramsey have utterly failed to work with the families of the dead. Not only have they withheld information from them, including information that was subpoenaed during a lawsuit, but they've refused to answer almost any questions. In the case of David Phillips, Desmond's father, they appear to have targeted him for particular contempt, open hostility and harassment.
๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ.
They work for us and yet they can kill us. We need community policing, not a closed, quasi-military organization. We need a Citizen's Oversight Commission (as proposed by Concerned Citizens For Justice - Chico) and city leadership that prioritizes it and insists that our Police Chief and officers make the time and good faith efforts to consistently engage. We need these things now.
