URL: http://www.redding.com/news/letterseditor/past/20040415edtlet022.shtml
Letters to the editor: Press won't come to our help
April 15, 2004 — 2:07 a.m. After reading the "Speak Your Piece" by Dave Waddell regarding the photos of the shooting and the Redding Police Department, I hit upon an idea. The next time a deranged man with a gun is threatening the neighbors, don't call the Redding police. Call the Record Searchlight and have it send a journalist and a photographer over. If the man shoots a couple of the neighbors, just think of the photos you could publish, not to mention the increase of sales. Do you see where all this is heading? Since the Record Searchlight is a "for profit" business, the city wouldn't have to pay millions for lawsuits and insurance. The families of the officers could breathe a little easier because their husbands are not in a "shoot, don't shoot" situation. Thanks, Dave, for helping me see the light. But would you personally stand there with some lunatic pointing a pistol at your head? Who are you going to call? Yep — the Redding Police Department, and we are right back where we started. Dr. Monroe Broadway, Redding
As a parent, I have tried to teach my children that the police are to be respected. After what I have seen and read about what happened to Timothy Brandon at his home, I can no longer respect the police myself. I am appalled. I cannot believe this man was gunned down in his own driveway, and we are to believe that it was justified. Perhaps you should have given the police the photographs you obtained that day. Maybe their memories could be refreshed. Did the heat of the moment cause them to make a rash decision? What happened to "serve and protect"? How sad that now two children will never know their father. What a terrible waste of a good man. How do these officers sleep at night? I understand that police officers are often faced with terrible situations, but shouldn't they have to think very clearly and not rush to action? Is shooting a man lying on the ground seven times after he's already been shot once justified? It saddens me to say that I now understand the lack of trust in the police that I have heard and seen in the past few years, even in a town as small as Redding. I hope Brandon's family will continue to follow up with the Redding Police Department and get to the very bottom of what actually happened to their son, father, uncle, brother and friend — not just the armed subject on Sacramento Drive. Danielle L. Garner, Redding
There have been several letters published about the Timothy Brandon shooting in Redding. The gist of them has been that both the Record Searchlight and the Redding Police Department were wrong in the actions they took. I believe both organizations did what was correct. First off, I believe this was a classic case of "suicide by cop." Everyone involved acknowledged that Brandon was suicidal. Using the police as an instrument of suicide is not uncommon. That is not to say that Brandon wasn't a nice person, a good father and son, but a lot of nice people commit suicide. However, the officers involved had no way of knowing Brandon was a nice person. They only knew that he was a troubled person with a deadly weapon, that he was a threat to himself, them and anyone else in the area. They had the right and the obligation to shoot. That they shot to kill was also the correct action. That is the only reason to shoot someone, despite what may be portrayed in the movies and on television. The Record Searchlight was upholding its right not to turn over the photographer's film; a right that is not defended soon becomes a privilege, especially under the unlawful threat of arrest. The use of that threat was a gross misuse of authority. That officer should be censured and suspended from duty. He is more of a threat to the citizens of Redding than the ones who used their firearms. Dewight D. Oilar, Anderson
I'm curious. I wrote the Redding Police Department more than a month ago through the Web site asking for extra attention to the Ravenwood subdivision to cut down on speeding. We have had a chronic problem with young drivers in and around Redding for some time, and with the very young children who play here, it's only a matter of time before we have a fatality. I never received a response, even though I asked that I be contacted. I wrote again asking for the speed monitor to be placed in the area. Again, no response. Even a "no" would be better than how things seem to be handled. I guess to get the RPD's attention, I have to threaten suicide or ride a bike — we haven't forgotten that one either. Roger B. Mullis, Redding Thursday, April 15, 2004
http://www.redding.com/news/speak/past/20040405speak049.shtml Letter to Editor
Newspaper loses its perspective
'Victim' is poor description of dangerous man Charles Dada April 05, 2004 — 5:57 a.m.
Compare your latest editorial to your March 20 headline: "Victim didn't fire weapon." I suggest your writer's use of the word "victim" is proof of an anti-police bias. I suggest the word "suspect" is an appropriate term when a deranged man goes into his house and comes out brandishing a loaded gun at police. And yet, you call him a victim. Maybe that day's headline was influenced by the flap over investigators wanting your photographer's film. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it was ridiculous that your paper would not accommodate the investigator's generous offer to have duplicate one-hour photos made. No harm in that, yet your people obstinately refused. Your articles mention how Brandon's family bemoans the fact that one of them wanted to speak to Brandon before it became necessary for police to shoot him. A few years ago, I recall a similar incident in Trinity County wherein deputies let a female civilian in to try to calm an armed emotionally disturbed person. That woman, Carole Laag, ended up stabbed to death by the suspect (R-S Jan. 22, 1997). Maybe your paper should devote sometime to reflecting on this and similar past incidents before you let someone promote the notion that letting civilians come into contact with armed suicidal people is a good idea. In similar experience with letting a citizen contact an armed, emotionally deranged person, I, as a rookie during my first two weeks on the street, was called to a mobile home where a man was holding the point of a 12-inch butcher knife against his stomach, threatening suicide. The subject was lying in bed and intoxicated. Standing by were volunteer firefighters, one of whom claimed to be a friend of the suspect. The firefighter asked to talk his friend into putting down the knife, so I let him in to try. The suspect was so intoxicated, and the 15-foot distance was far enough that I didn't believe any of us would be in jeopardy. I was wrong. The firefighter hadn't said four words before the suspect lurched up and charged at us with his knife raised. Fortunately, the suspect fell down during his charge, so I didn't have to shoot him. But nearly 10 years later, I still have bad dreams about the incident. The incident served to teach me a lesson about letting others get involved with an armed suicidal person: Bringing in that "friend" provoked that suspect to attack. Had that friend been stabbed, I could have been found at fault. Just like the Trinity County sheriff's office was sued over the death of Laag (R-S July 17, 1997). If I had been forced to shoot that butcher-knife suspect, would your paper have called him a "victim"? Charles "Chad" Dada lives in Red Bluff. Monday, April 5, 2004
URL: http://www.redding.com/top_stories/local/20040320toplo038.shtml Victim didn't fire weapon Police say gun pointed at them before fatal shooting
Christina Lucarotti
Brad Garrison March 20, 2004 — 2:07 a.m.
Brandon, however, did not fire his gun, the police said at a press conference Friday morning. The 40-year-old father of two died Thursday after a standoff that lasted at least 30 minutes but ended suddenly. The three officers who shot at Brandon Cpl. Walt Bullington, Cpl. Roger Moore and officer Eric Little have been placed on paid administrative leave. A preliminary investigation, however, shows the officers acted within department policy, Redding Police Chief Leonard Moty said Friday. Police would not say Friday how many bullets hit Brandon and how many rounds each officer fired. It was also unclear where each officer who fired was located in relation to Brandon, whose family had called police early Thursday concerned about his behavior. At least two officers took cover behind a wooden fence and another behind tall bushes. While the fence and bushes would not have protected officers from being shot, Redding Sgt. Steve Moravec said the locations hid them and were meant to be temporary. "The fence served as concealment rather than cover until such time they could find proper cover given the extreme circumstances," Moravec said. Before the shooting, officers surrounded Brandon's home while he remained inside. He came out of his house at least one time unarmed. He then went back inside and re-emerged with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun with a round chambered and six rounds in the magazine, Moravec said. Brandon ignored police orders to drop the gun. Bullington fired the first shot from a rifle after Brandon pointed a gun at officers, Moravec said. "Mr. Brandon fell after the first shot, and the officers approached to render first aid and remove the weapon," Moravec said. "As the officers approached, Mr. Brandon rolled and pointed the gun at officers." Bullington, Moore and Little fired seven more shots for a total of eight after Brandon again threatened officers with his gun, Moravec said. Brandon's sister, Stacia Brandon, who witnessed the shooting, disputes the details police released and said her brother did not threaten officers. "They were wrong," Stacia Brandon said. "He wouldn't hurt anybody. He had no intentions." She and her mother, Sharon Brandon, attended Friday's press conference with some questions of their own. Stacia Brandon wanted to know why officers did not allow her to speak with her brother before the shooting a scenario the department said is too dangerous. "You're putting other citizens at risk and typically we never do that," Moty said. When asked about alternative means of disarming Brandon, Moravec said the officers did not have time to consider other options. Police's search for Brandon began Thursday morning after receiving two phone calls that Brandon was armed and suicidal. At least one call indicated Brandon was making threats toward his ex-wife and may be in her Enterprise neighborhood, Moty said. Officers looked there first, but eventually found Brandon at home about 10:30 a.m. Brandon had been drinking alcohol and was distraught over a recent break up with his girlfriend, family members said Thursday. Less than 16 hours before Thursday's shooting, officers were called to Brandon's home by a neighbor Wednesday night because the neighbor thought Brandon was acting suicidal. That night, three officers responded. The house was surrounded Thursday, Moty said, because police had been told that Brandon was armed and a threat to others as well as himself. The exact number of officers who responded Thursday was not released by police. A multiagency team including the Shasta County district attorney's office, Shasta County Sheriff's Department, California State Department of Justice and Redding police are investigating the shooting. The Shasta County coroner's office is scheduled to perform Brandon's autopsy Monday. Reporter Christina Lucarotti can be reached at 225-8215 or at clucarotti@redding.com
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URL: http://www.redding.com/top_stories/local/20040319toplo076.shtml Police kill armed man Family called for help after victim had acted suicidal
Christina Lucarotti
John Stubler LAST MOMENTS: Timothy Brandon of Redding is seen as he turned and stepped
toward officers MAN DOWN: Timothy Brandon rolls on the ground after officers begin shooting
at him. Brandon came out of his house holding a handgun and ignored repeated
orders to drop the gun before police March 19, 2004 — 8:11 a.m.
The shooting happened less than 16 hours after police were called to the same Sacramento Drive residence where Timothy Brandon, 40, was reportedly acting suicidal Wednesday night. The three officers who are believed to have fired on Brandon, but who were not identified by the department Thursday, have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. Brandon's sister, Stacia Brandon, said her brother sounded depressed during a phone conversation Thursday morning and she feared he might take his own life, so she called police about 10 a.m. Family members said Brandon, a father of two, had been drinking and was despondent after a recent break up with his girlfriend. "All we did was call for help," said Sharon Brandon, his mother. "They said they were going to send an officer over, and they send a SWAT team here." Sgt. Steve Moravec said officers checked several locations in the Enterprise area after being called before determining that Brandon was at home. The Redding Police Department hostage negotiation team tried to contact Brandon as officers surrounded his house, Moravec said. Brandon stepped in and out of his home several times before finally walking outside with a gun. Moments before he was shot, Timothy Brandon walked between a truck and car parked in his driveway while holding the gun in his right hand. He was repeatedly ordered to drop his weapon. Instead, he turned toward the officers and took two steps forward. A shot was then fired, followed by several more. Stacia Brandon said her brother may have fired first, but police Thursday said it is unclear if he fired at all. Three officers reportedly fired at Brandon, who immediately fell to the ground. Officers then rushed Brandon, tossed the gun away from him, handcuffed him. They then uncuffed him and began performing first aid until paramedics arrived. He died at the scene. Brandon's mother and sister felt police overreacted Thursday. "I think they were too anxious. They didn't give him a chance," said Sharon Brandon, who arrived after the shooting. Stacia Brandon said she had gone to the house Thursday to try and talk with her brother, and wound up witnessing the shooting. "I think he got scared because they were all on their knees aimed at him," she said. Sixteen hours before he was fatally shot, police were called to Brandon's home by a neighbor at 8:14 p.m. Wednesday, according to police logs. Three officers responded to that call. The log says Brandon was treated as a 5150 — police code for a mentally disturbed person — and the call was cleared at 9:47 p.m. Stacia said her brother was taken to Shasta Psychiatric Hospital that night, but she did not know when he was released. A multiagency team including the Shasta County district attorney's office, Shasta County Sheriff's Department, California State Department of Justice and Redding police are investigating the shooting. A press conference is scheduled for today. Reporter Christina Lucarotti can be reached at 225-8215 or at clucarotti@redding.com. Photographer John Stubler contributed to this report. Friday, March 19, 2004
URL: http://www.redding.com/top_stories/local/20040402toplo033.shtml
Use of deadly force under investigation Three Redding officers involved in shooting have returned to duty
Christina Lucarotti
April 02, 2004 — 2:07 a.m.
The district attorney is reviewing task force reports into the shooting death of Timothy Brandon but would not say Thursday how long it would take to determine if the officers were justified. Three Redding police officers fired eight times at Brandon the morning of March 18 during a standoff in his front yard. They have since returned to work. The reports contain witness interviews and crime scene photos, Shasta County District Attorney Jerry Benito said Thursday. An autopsy report, which is expected to include toxicology results, may take several more weeks to be completed, said Shasta County Deputy Coroner Wayne Booker. Benito will determine whether the officers — Cpl. Walt Bullington, Cpl. Roger Moore and officer Eric Little — who shot Brandon in front of his Sacramento Drive home acted within the law. "I know there's a lot of pressure to move quickly, but it's more important to move correctly," he said. The district attorney began reviewing the documents Wednesday and described it as "slow reading" and "very, very detailed." The California Penal Code outlines when officers are justified in using deadly force, but the interpretation of the law depends more on past court decisions, Benito said. "It's really too early to tell where this case will fall in the code section," he said. "One thing I will be looking at, obviously, is self defense on the part of the peace officers and whether their actions were justified given the circumstances." Redding police have said the officers feared for their lives as well as the lives of citizens in the area. Several people, including Brandon's sister, witnessed the shooting. Benito said it is common when reviewing shootings involving police officers to request additional information before making a decision. He said he would ask for the audiotapes of police dispatchers and radio traffic as well as a crime-scene video taken after the incident. The accounts from eyewitnesses, both officers and civilians, will be weighed when reviewing the case, Benito said. In a March 19 press conference, Redding police said Bullington, Moore and Little fired a total of eight rounds after Brandon walked out of his home holding a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and ignored orders to surrender. Police said Brandon threatened officers with the handgun twice but did not fire his weapon. The coroner's office has not said how many bullets struck Brandon. The 40-year-old father of two died at the scene. Police surrounded Brandon's home after receiving two phone calls stating he was suicidal and armed, police logs show. One call indicated Brandon was making threats toward his ex-wife. A multiagency team is responsible for investigating officer shootings, which are handled as homicides, Redding police Capt. Dave Mundy said. The task force consists of representatives from the Shasta County district attorney's office, Shasta County Sheriff's Department, Redding Police Department and the California State Department of Justice. Benito said the process is set up to ensure the integrity of the investigation and the district attorney's role is "to be objective and independent." "The officers directly involved in the shooting are treated just like any other witness or potential suspect," the district attorney said. The three officers who fired at Brandon were immediately placed on paid administrative leave but returned to work within a week of the shooting. They were required to see a counselor before returning to work, Redding Chief Leonard Moty said Thursday. The chief described the session as a "critical incident stress debriefing, just to make sure they are dealing with it OK." The police are also conducting an internal investigation of the shooting that seeks to determine if the officers violated any department policies or procedures, Moty said. The department's policy regarding deadly force states officers may use it to protect themselves or others, the police chief said. Reporter Christina Lucarotti can be reached at 225-8215 or at clucarotti@redding.com. Friday, April 2, 2004
URL: http://www.redding.com/news/past/20030927lo101.shtml Man's brother wants answers
Jim Schultz
"He wasn't the kind to rush a cop. He would have been too scared."
Jason Torchia of Redding
September 27, 2003 — 9:14 a.m. The grief-stricken younger brother of a 36-year-old Redding man killed last week by a Redding police officer wants a complete and open investigation into his sibling's violent death. Timothy Torchia was shot and killed around midnight Sept. 16 by RPD officer Chris Jacoby after police said Torchia charged the officer, who had earlier tried to pull him over in the Parkview neighborhood area for riding a bicycle without a headlight. But Torchia's brother, 35-year-old Jason of Redding, said police and news accounts of the shooting don't make any sense to him. "He wasn't the kind to rush a cop," Jason Torchia said. "He would have been too scared. He wasn't violent at all." But, he admitted, he doesn't actually know what happened that terrible night. All he knows is that he lost his only brother. And he's hurting. "I miss him dearly," he said. "He had his whole life ahead of him." Redding Police Chief Leonard Moty said Friday that a multiagency investigation into the deadly shooting should be finished by next week and sent to the Shasta County district attorney's office for review. In addition, an internal probe should also be wrapped up by next week. With Jason Torchia, as well as others, including Redding attorney Michael Cogan, calling for a full and open investigation into the shooting, Moty said the participation of the state Department of Justice, the Shasta County Sheriff's Department, the district attorney's office and the Redding Police Department, will help ensure the probe is complete and proper. And, he said, he's confident that more detailed information about the shooting will be released by the Shasta County district attorney's office once it has reviewed the investigation's findings. "It will be up to the DA (Jerry Benito) to release what he wants to," Moty said. "I believe that there will be a more detailed statement." Cogan, who said it was unclear Thursday whether he might file a wrongful death lawsuit in connection with the fatal shooting, said he was troubled by the circumstances surrounding the shooting. "An unarmed man was shot three times," he said. "We want a full and open investigation" to ensure the shooting was justified. "It should be as public as possible." In the meantime, Jacoby, an eight-year law enforcement veteran, has completed a mandatory debriefing and has returned to work, pending the outcome of the investigation. Police have said that Jacoby was on patrol near Angelo and Favretto streets when he saw Torchia riding his bike without a headlight. Despite Jacoby's attempt to stop him, Torchia pedaled several blocks away before ditching the bike and fleeing into a carport, police have said. Chasing on foot, police said Jacoby thought he saw a holster in Torchia's hand and opened fire when Torchia, who was later revealed to be a wanted parole, reached behind his back, turned and charged toward him. Torchia died of multiple gunshot wounds. The holster, Moty said, turned out to be a dark knit cap. No gun was found. Although a witness said Torchia was wearing green latex gloves and black clothes, which led some to speculate that he might have been burglarizing homes in the Parkview area, his younger brother said he was not a thief. "He wouldn't have shoplifted a candy bar," he said. But, he acknowledged, his brother did have a drug addiction that landed him in trouble with the law. "He was on parole because he had a habit," he said. "He had a disease." Shasta County court records show that Torchia had been charged with 11 drug-related misdemeanor and felony crimes in the past decade, while California Department of Corrections records also show that he had been in and out of prison since the mid-1990s. Still, Torchia's younger brother, who has also had his share of brushes with law enforcement, according to Shasta County court records, questioned Jacoby's need to use lethal force, believing other alternatives were available to the officer. "There was no reason for this," he said. "He didn't deserve to die." Reporter Jim Schultz can be reached at 225-8223 or at jschultz@redding.com
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/california/story/7442782p-8385558c.html Two incidents in one day involve a pot raid and a cyclist's arrest.
Besides internal department reviews of Tuesday's shootings, the deaths will be investigated by a team with members from the state Department of Justice and the Shasta County District Attorney's Office and Sheriff's Department, as well as the Redding Police Department. The four officers will be off the street during the reviews, a police spokesman said Thursday. "We'll feel it, but we'll make adjustments," said Sgt. Tim McDonald. Tuesday was the single deadliest day for the 111-officer department. The first incident began shortly after midnight when a bicyclist refused to stop as an officer attempted to cite him for riding without a light, McDonald said. A brief chase ensued, but then the suspect abandoned the bicycle, McDonald said. Officer Chris Jacoby, who was in a police car, then gave chase on foot into an alley, he said. Jacoby got within 30 feet of Timothy Torchia, 36, McDonald said, and ordered him to drop what the officer thought was a holster. Torchia turned and charged toward Jacoby, McDonald said, and at the same time appeared to reach for something in his rear waistband. Jacoby shot "multiple times" at Torchia, killing him instantly, McDonald said. No weapons were found on Torchia, who was a parolee wanted by the Shasta County Sheriff's Department, McDonald said. The second incident occurred during a multiple-agency raid on a marijuana-growing operation in a southeast corner of the county, about 25 miles from Redding. The Shasta County Sheriff's Department headed up the raid on what was the year's single biggest marijuana bust in the county, netting 33,354 plants with a street value of $133,416,000, according to sheriff's Capt. William Cox. The raid began before dawn with 22 officers, including members of the Redding police SWAT team, Cox said. Divided into three teams, they fanned out through mountainous terrain covered in chaparral, thorned bushes and manzanita to three garden sites, Cox said. Three Redding officers -- Eric Wallace, who has been with the department for three years, Jeff Wallace, who has been with the department for 2 1/2 years, and David Schultz, a five-year veteran -- became separated from others on their team, Cox said. About 30 to 40 feet in front of them, Cox said, two men came out of the brush, one carrying an assault weapon on his right shoulder. The officers ordered the two to stop, in English and in Spanish, he said. The first man, who also had a pistol in his waistband, raised the rifle to his shoulder and began to aim at the officers, Cox said, and the officers opened fire on both men. The first man was killed and the second man fell to his hands and knees, Cox said. The second man appeared to reach for his waistband as he moved toward the first man's weapons on the ground, Cox said. The officers ordered him to stop moving, in English and Spanish, Cox said, but he kept moving toward the weapons. All three officers fired again, mortally wounding the second man. At least 20 shell casings from the officers' weapons were recovered, Cox said. Neither suspect fired a weapon, he said. Cox said marijuana growers often hire Latino immigrants to do the most dangerous part of their operation: guarding and caring for the crop in remote terrain. After the shootings, another officer found three other unarmed men in the brush, Cox said, but they fled. Officers found 16 bedrolls at the garden site, but no other weapons. Officers returned to the area Thursday to search for the three who fled. As of Thursday, the Shasta County Coroner's Office had not identified the two dead men, who appeared to be between 30 and 40 years old, according to a deputy coroner. About the Writer The Bee's M.S. Enkoji can be reached at (916) 321-1106 or menkoji@sacbee.com
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http://www.redding.com/top_stories/local/20030918toplo078.shtml Parolee shot by police died from multiple bullet wounds
Alex Breitler
September 18, 2003 — 7:18 a.m. A wanted parolee killed by police in a south Redding neighborhood died from multiple gunshot wounds, an autopsy revealed Wednesday. Police would not say exactly how many times 36-year-old Timothy Torchia was shot, nor where the wounds were located. They did say an investigation into Tuesday's death was nearly complete and would be forwarded to the Shasta County district attorney for review, possibly by the end of the week. Torchia, who lived in Redding, was riding his bicycle without a headlight just after midnight Tuesday near Angelo and Favretto streets. That raised the suspicions of Redding police officer Chris Jacoby, who passed on patrol, police said. Jacoby tried to stop the man, but he pedaled several blocks away before ditching his bicycle and fleeing into a carport. Chasing on foot, the officer thought he saw a holster in Torchia's hand and opened fire when the suspect, reaching behind his back, turned and charged toward Jacoby, officers said. No gun was found. Police released few new details about the shooting Wednesday. But they defended Jacoby's decision to pursue the bicyclist on a relatively minor vehicle code violation. Jacoby had the "ability and probably the duty" to stop the suspect, said police Capt. Wes Reynolds. Had he not, the bicyclist could have been hit by a passing car, he said. When the bicyclist wheeled away from the officer, that justly aroused his suspicions even further, Reynolds said. "There could be any number of reasons," he said. "The person might have a warrant. The person could be doing burglaries. Or it might be they're trying to avoid a ticket." It turned out Torchia was a wanted parolee. Shasta County court records show he had been charged with 11 drug-related misdemeanor and felony crimes in the past decade alone. Further, California Department of Corrections records show the suspect had been in and out of prison since the mid-1990s. He was paroled 14 times, sometimes returning to prison within weeks of his release, the records show. A witness said Torchia was wearing green latex gloves and black clothes when he was shot. Jacoby, an eight-year law enforcement veteran, remains on paid administrative leave as the investigation continues. An internal probe is also being conducted. "We continue to make sure we do a lot of work and follow-up," Reynolds said. Neither police nor Shasta County coroner's officials would comment specifically about the man's wounds. Deputy Coroner John Zufall said toxicology tests would be conducted to determine if Torchia was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting. Reporter Alex Breitler can be reached at 225-8344 or at abreitler@redding.com
http://www.recordsearchlight.com/top_stories/local/20030917toplo061.shtml Parolee thought to have gun
Alex Breitler
September 17, 2003 — 7:17 a.m.
The officer-involved death in the Parkview neighborhood was the first of three in Shasta County within a seven-hour period Tuesday. Later that morning, two suspected marijuana growers were killed by law enforcement at a garden near Manton. In the Redding shooting, officers identified the bicyclist as Timothy Torchia, 36, a Redding resident with a history of drug convictions. Police learned after the shooting that Torchia was a wanted parolee. No gun was found at the scene, but Police Chief Leonard Moty said department policy allows officers to open fire if there is an "actual or perceived" imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. "He (the officer) has to make a decision within a split second as to whether he or someone else is in danger," Moty said. "That's a very difficult thing to do." Graveyard shift officer Chris Jacoby was placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of two investigations. Jacoby was on patrol just after midnight near Angelo and Favretto streets when he saw the bicyclist riding without a headlight, a violation of the vehicle code, police Sgt. Steve Moravec said. Something about the bicyclist aroused the officer's suspicions, and he tried to stop the man, police said. Instead of yielding, the bicyclist pedaled away through back streets and alleys, leading Jacoby on a chase for several blocks. At Akard Avenue the man ditched his bike and ran, with Jacoby following on foot. The man turned down a gravel alley behind a large apartment complex and darted into a duplex carport, banging on neighbors' doors in an apparent effort to find shelter. Jacoby spotted what he believed might be a holster in the suspect's hand and drew his handgun, ordering the fleeing man to stop, Moravec said. It was then that the man turned and charged from the carport toward Jacoby, reaching around his waist, the sergeant said. Jacoby fired four or five shots, according to neighbors roused from sleep. Torchia was struck and fell to the concrete. He died at the scene, police said. It was a terrifying night for those who live in the residential neighborhood. Lesley Alspaugh, 23, was on her porch having a cigarette when she heard police cars screeching around the corner. "They're just chasing someone, I figured," she said. "Then I heard the 'pop, pop, pop!' " She ran to a fence adjacent to the alley and saw several officers drawing in around the carport, their guns raised. Police cars churned up the gravel and smoke hovered in the air. "You could smell the gunpowder," Alspaugh said. Tom Knight, 55, lives in the duplex where the shooting took place. He was sleeping when he heard knocking on his door. Two minutes later, shots rang out in the carport, just feet from his bedroom. "A cop told me to get back in the house and stay there, so I did," he said Tuesday afternoon. "I haven't been to bed since midnight." Knight, who saw the man laying on the ground, said the suspect wore green latex gloves and black clothing. It was unclear how many times the suspect was struck. But Knight said three bullets were removed from the carport wall, and he said he heard five shots overall. Tuesday afternoon, technicians took measurements in the alley. A few chalk outlines marked the spot where the suspect had fallen, although the concrete had been washed clean. Neighbors who had never met knocked on each others' doors Tuesday to talk about the shooting. They say the neighborhood wasn't the best to begin with, but no one had ever seen anything like this. Knight's 17-year-old daughter went to stay with a friend for a while. "She's scared to death," he said. "And my cat's still underneath the bed." Others promised to leave permanently. "I'm going to move out of here as soon as I can, after this," said Dianna Dimond. "I'm not staying here. This is scary." Dimond's second-story window overlooks the alley and carport. She peered out her curtain-shrouded window during the early morning hours, watching as investigators set up huge lights to illuminate the scene. Court records show Torchia was sentenced to three years in state prison in 1998 for drug possession and obstructing a public official. He also pleaded guilty just last month to providing false identification to an officer. The Shasta County district attorney's office will determine if any criminal wrongdoing took place, while a multiagency team will conduct an internal probe. An autopsy on Torchia was scheduled for today. Moty spoke with Jacoby on Tuesday morning. The 32-year-old officer has five years experience in Redding and three previous years in the Los Angeles area. "He seems to be dealing with it pretty will at this point," the chief said. "You train for it but you hope it never happens." It was the first officer-involved fatal shooting in Redding since a drunken bar patron was shot and killed outside the Rusty Nail last December. Both the Police Department and the Shasta County Sheriff's Department were spread thin by Tuesday's two shootings and three deaths. It may be an unprecedented day for Shasta County, which typically sees only a handful of such shootings each year. "I've never heard of it," Moty said. Reporter Alex Breitler can be reached at 225-8344 or at abreitler@redding.com
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http://www.recordsearchlight.com/top_stories/local/20030917toplo084.shtml Agents kill two in Manton drug raid
Margo Horner
September 17, 2003 — 10:41 a.m.
"These ones confronted our personnel," Shasta County sheriff's Lt. Denis Carroll said. "There was a gun battle." Carroll declined to reveal who shot the two suspects or who fired first. The number of shots fired was also not revealed. Three other men at the marijuana garden escaped agents and remained on the loose Tuesday, Carroll said. "Stay away from these individuals. They are very dangerous," Carroll said, warning the men were armed. "If you see them, call 911." The three men at large are Hispanic wearing camouflage pants and dark green T-shirts. One man wore a blue beanie and another man had a beard, he said. Carroll said the men are likely in a heavily wooded area between Manton and Shingletown, about 30 miles east of Redding. Agents located tracks and it appeared the men were heading east. Authorities have created a two-square-mile perimeter around the area where they believe the men are, Carroll said. "They're not running through town. We do not believe that they've gotten out of the cordoned off area," Carroll said. Roadblocks were set up in Shingletown and Manton. "We'll stop people and make sure that these are actually people that live in the area and these are not the 'responsibles' we're looking for," Carroll said. There are at least two ranches in the surrounded area, Carroll said. One home was abandoned and deputies contacted a family at the other ranch. They hadn't reported seeing anyone. Several other nearby residents were contacted by sheriff's deputies and advised of the manhunt. Agents will remain in the area overnight, Carroll said. "We're not leaving until we have the individuals in custody," he said Tuesday. "Nobody's going to sleep. We have a full graveyard shift coming in." Meanwhile, folks who live in the Manton Trailer Park across the street from the drug agents' command post gathered in the grass on picnic tables and lawn chairs. Many of the crowd sat out there all day. "I've never seen anything like this before. We got a lot of people scared around here," said Kathy Gumble. "The helicopter had that big metal rack that they brought a body in. They started doing resuscitation on the guy." The efforts were unsuccessful, and the body was loaded into the back of a Shasta County coroner's van. The second body was transported by helicopter to the command post later Tuesday afternoon. Deputy Coroner Wayne Booker said he did not know the names of either man, both believed to be Mexican nationals. The two men's deaths capped off an almost unprecedented day of officer-involved shootings in Shasta County. Earlier Tuesday, bicyclist Timothy Torchia, 36, of Redding was shot and killed by Redding police after he fled. While investigators in Manton and Shingletown hunted for the suspects, marijuana eradication teams seized between 20,000 and 30,000 plants, carrying them out by helicopter and then taking them away in trucks. The plants were nearly full-grown, Carroll said, making them more valuable than ones seized earlier in the season. "They have brought in loads and loads, they think this is going to be one of the biggest we've done," Carroll said. Reporter Margo Horner can be reached at 225-8215 or at mhorner@redding.com
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with the gun in his right hand. The photo was taken about the time the
first shot was fired.
began
firing.