Legislation enforcement officers are releasing little details about a automobile crash final month involving an off-duty Shasta County sheriff’s deputy, though Sheriff Michael Johnson mentioned he’s “dedicated to transparency and accountability” relating to his division and the incident.
Johnson printed a information launch Monday, expressing frustration about what he mentioned had been stories on social media of false and unsubstantiated particulars of the crash.
“I turned conscious of some social media posts circulating that share unsubstantiated particulars surrounding the collision. The put up included false allegations that sheriff’s workplace personnel hindered the investigative efforts of allied companies on the scene. These statements are egregious and baseless and are a product of a faceless allegation,” the sheriff mentioned.
“I’m annoyed with the cowardliness and repeated assaults on regulation enforcement and on the integrity of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Workplace,” Johnson mentioned.
The information launch mentioned the deputy crashed a automobile within the Palo Cedro space on March 16, and the officer was taken to the hospital following the incident.
However the assertion didn’t identify the officer, the place the crash occurred, the time, the variety of automobiles concerned, what led to the crash and whether or not the deputy was impaired by alcohol or medicine.
As a result of the deputy is an worker of the division, Johnson mentioned he’s restricted by privateness legal guidelines from releasing data to the general public.
Requested in an electronic mail whether or not the sheriff needed to supply correct particulars concerning the crash to right the report, division spokesman Tim Mapes declined and referred inquiries to the California Freeway Patrol workplace in Redding.
CHP Sgt. Jose Tabarez, who works out of the Redding workplace, initially referred questions concerning the incident to the sheriff’s workplace. When a reporter advised him the sheriff’s workplace referred the Document Searchlight to the CHP, Tabarez mentioned he might solely say the crash occurred at 3:16 a.m. on March 16.
He mentioned he couldn’t launch additional particulars, together with the identify of the motive force as a result of the incident was below investigation. Later within the interview, he mentioned the incident occurred at Deschutes Street and Hillside Drive in Palo Cedro.
The CHP and different regulation enforcement companies usually challenge information releases that embody the names of motorists and passengers concerned in automobile crashes. The placement, variety of automobiles concerned and the occasions that led to a crash can also be data included, even earlier than investigations are full.
Legislation enforcement and the CHP additionally usually say whether or not the motive force was allegedly impaired by alcohol or medicine. Information releases additionally embody data when an individual is arrested or when an company is looking for a needed particular person.
On Tuesday, the CHP issued a information launch that included the main points of a fatal crash on Interstate 5 at Balls Ferry Road in Anderson. The discharge included the names and ages of these concerned within the crash, the place it occurred, the date and time and the circumstances that led to the crash and whether or not medicine or alcohol had been an element within the incident.
The CHP additionally listed the severity of accidents of these concerned within the crash. As is typical, the identify of the particular person killed within the crash was not included as a result of that particular person’s household had not but been notified of the loss of life. The information launch additionally mentioned the I-5 crash in Anderson was nonetheless below investigation.
However none of that’s being launched in connection to the deputy crash on March 16.
David Loy, authorized director for the First Amendment Coalition, mentioned regulation enforcement companies are typically not required to reveal paperwork when they’re conducting a felony investigation.
The exemption from disclosing data below the California Public Information Act covers “solely these investigations undertaken for the aim of figuring out whether or not a violation of regulation could happen or has occurred,” in keeping with the coalition.
A snippet of the March 16, 911 name to emergency dispatchers was obtainable on a pc utility that information 911 calls. Just one minute and 1 second of radio visitors related to the incident involving the deputy was obtainable.
Within the name, a dispatcher mentioned the data was referred to the CHP by the Shasta Space Security Communications Company (SHASCOM), which handles requires ambulance, police, hearth and the sheriff’s workplace in Shasta County.
SHASCOM was routinely notified by iPhone that the automobile was in a crash, and it was decided a automobile hit a tree, in keeping with the dispatcher. The driving force additionally was unconscious, in keeping with the dispatcher. The identify of the registered proprietor of the automobile was confidential, the dispatcher mentioned.
On the bottom on the northeast nook of Deschutes Street and Hillside Drive on Tuesday, there was a broken steel fence mendacity crumpled on the bottom and an oak tree that had been pushed over. A cease signal was on the bottom close to the oak tree, in addition to elements of a automobile and ruts from tire tracks within the mud alongside the street.
The automobile elements seemed to be blue in colour. A number of the automobile elements seemed to be both headlight or taillight lenses and considered one of them had a tag that indicated it was off a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story ideas at 530-338-8834, by electronic mail at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Assist native journalism thrive by subscribing today!
