Community Calling for Independent Investigation of SPPD

(SOURCE: Tiger Newspaper)

November 18, 2020

Sent via email: Please read this comment aloud at the City Council meeting on November 18, 2020

Dear Mayor Joe and Councilmembers: 

The signatories of this letter are writing today to express our deep concern for the pattern of behavior that has been observed of the South Pasadena Police Department in response to intolerant, violent, and egregious acts toward community members advocating for Black lives and other causes that question our city government’s relationships with citizens belonging to marginalized communities. We are demanding that the City Council enlist an unbiased third party to launch a formal investigation into allegations of bias present in the city’s Police Department. This is the second request of a similar nature, the first of which was submitted on October 2, 2020 by Care First South Pasadena with 21 other local organizations as signatories. 

This demand is being restated after yet more inaction in response to a protest instigated by mostly non-community members that escalated to violence. On Sunday, November 1, a crowd of roughly 350 people wielding Trump/Pence flags, hats, and maskless faces gathered on the corner of Fair Oaks and Mission. The gathering, in violation of several COVID-19 safety guidelines issued by federal, state, and local officials, was accompanied by a table selling merchandise for which there was no permit issued.

South Pasadena has heralded itself as a town of diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance, so in response to these individuals (most of whom were not members of the South Pasadena community) many members of the community came together to demonstrate their denouncement of the hatred, bigotry, and authoritarianism for which the crowd was demonstrating their support. In response, the pro-Trump crowd employed insults, xenophobic rhetoric, and physical violence against members of our community. 

A 16-year-old was assaulted by the pro-Trump protesters. According to her testimony, the violence was instigated by the individuals illegally selling merchandise on the public sidewalk. The disgusting and horrific act of violence was met by inaction on the part of the South Pasadena police officers present. This inaction is documented by the first person accounts of several counter protesters who were present. Police officers were present at the scene of the assault and saw the escalation of events, and at no point did they step in to deescalate the situation. In fact, police officers were seen helping guide traffic around the pro-Trump protesters and giving high fives to protesters. If the police were there to facilitate a peaceful environment for protest, why was there no intervention when violence broke out? 

This incident, as concerning as it is in its own right, is a pattern of behavior by the South Pasadena Police Department. There have been several incidents at which the Police Department has been present and has not taken action against perpetrators of violence or incidents in which the police have been the perpetrators of bigotry themselves:

• The assaults (plural!) of Black Lives Matter protesters Fahren James and Victoria Patterson in July of this year
• The assault of a protester by a couple which resulted in destruction of property and physical harm
• The threatening and illegal action of driving onto the curb at Fair Oaks and Mission to instigate debate with Black Lives Matter protesters
• The police sponsored publicity of a prayer event on city property held by a white supremecist, anti-LGBTQIA+ group 

This repeated inaction, delay of action, and lack of genuine, complete, transparent responses to justify said inaction warrants the need for a third party, unbiased investigation into the operations of the South Pasadena Police Department. The signatories of this letter demand this action by the City Council so that we can actualize a police department that properly protects all of the residents of this city. 

Sources:

Ben Tansey & Eric Fabbro, “Trump Rally Goers Pay a Visit to South Pasadena | Assault Charges Follow.” The South Pasadenan, November 2, 2020. https://southpasadenan.com/trump-rally-goers-pay-a-visit-to-south-pasadena-assault-charges-follow/

“Resolution of Diversity: South Pasadena City Resolution No. 7491,” City of South Pasadena, December 21, 2016. https://www.southpasadenaca.gov/government/departments/city-clerk/resolution-of-diversity

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, “Teenager says Trump supporter assaulted her in South Pasadena.” Los Angeles Times, November 6, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-06/girl-and-trump-supporters-press-charges-against-each-other

Tansey & Fabbro; Ava Dunville, “Letter to the Editor | ‘Concerns About City Response to Trump Rally,’” The South Pasadenan, November 3, 2020. https://southpasadenan.com/letter-to-the-editor-concerns-about-city-response-to-trump-rally/ 

Victoria Patterson, “Letter to the Editor | ‘I Speak as an Ally,’” The South Pasadenan, August 17, 2020. 

 “Arrest Made in Attack on Protester on Sunday,” The South Pasadenan, August 31, 2020. https://southpasadenan.com/arrest-made-in-attack-on-protester-on-sunday/

Eric Fabbro, “Man Drives Truck onto Sidewalk ‘Dangerously Close’ to Black Lives Matter Protestors & Starbucks Customers on Fair Oaks,” The South Pasadenan, October 9, 2020. https://southpasadenan.com/man-drives-truck-onto-sidewalk-dangerously-close-to-black-lives-matter-protestors-starbucks-customers/

 Ben Tansey, “Police Chief Ortiz Takes More Heat Over Cancelled Prayer Event,” The South Pasadenan, October 8, 2020. https://southpasadenan.com/police-chief-ortiz-takes-more-heat-over-prayer-event/

Will Hoadley-Brill, “The Unintended Harm of Chief Ortiz’s ‘Error in Judgement,’” Anti-Racism Committee of South Pasadena, September 26, 2020. https://arcsouthpasadena.org/2020/09/26/the-unintended-harm-of-chief-ortizs-error-in-judgment/

Signed, 

1. Will Hoadley-Brill 
2. Victoria Patterson 
3. Gretchen Schulz 
4. Caitlin Lainoff
5. Aliza Rood
6. Phung Huynh
7. David Beadle
8. Nichole Dunville
9. Chris Smith
10. Jacinta Lincke
11. Linda Krausen
12. Julia Moreno Perri
13. Minerva Garcia 
14. Becky Rios
15. Stefani Williams 
16. Ava Dunville
17. Noah Kuhn 
18. Ava Feldman
19. Ellis Cho
20. Ayaka Nakaji
21. Atticus Blatt
22. Finlay Allardice 
23. Sadie Metcalfe
24. Travis Dunville
25. Melissa Payne
26. Alex Payne
27. William Payne
28. Coleen Santos
29. Dominic Frescura
30. Laura Parada
31. Ryan McWilliams 
32. Ian Marshall
33. Jan Marshall
34. Richard Marshall
35. Dan Parada 
36. Krissy Parada 
37. Ella Hushagen
38. Janelle Li
39. Jacqueline Li
40. Gabrielle Beauvais 
41. Hector Ornelas 
42. Charlotte Cohen
43. Amy Betts 
44. Ken Betts
45. Charlie Betts 
46. Jillian Goldstein 
47. Brenda Blatt
48. Deborah English
49. Danielle Ashton 
50. Jade Gomez
51. Ruby Mullen 
52. Robin Becker
53. Chris Becker
54. Jeremy Becker 
55. Alexandra Ramirez
56. Jennifer Parker-Stanton
57. Sanders Stanton
58. Robert Parker 
59. Richard LaBrie
60. Carol LaBrie
61. Logan Bishop
62. Mitch Loflin 
63. David Melford
64. Audrey Biggar
65. Fahren James
66. London Lang
67. Helga Kuhn
68. Elana Mann
69. Veronica Carrizales
70. Anne Bagasao
71. Grace Dennis
72. Thom Rivera
73. Johnavaolos Rios
74. Tony Butka 
75. Dr. Paula Bagasao-Butka 
76. Ciena Valenzuela-Petersen 
77. Oliver Wang
78. Karin Saric
79. Bella Evans
80. Rose McCullough
81. Anna McCurdy
82. Steve Zikman
83. Jacqueline Heinze 
84. Carly Curiel
85. Kamren Curiel
86. Josh Bernal
87. Priscilla Curiel 
88. Rachael Noji
89. Shawna Noji
90. Linik Noji
91. Calvin Noji
92. Max Yueh
93. Leo Barrera
94. Danzy Senna 
95. Percival Everett
96. Fanny Howe
97. Marjorie Menza
98. Chris Patterson
99. Ry Patterson
100. Cole Patterson
101. Esteban Vara
102. James Tulin
103. Max Garcia 
104. Holly Cardone
105. Trudy Penland
106. David D’Andrade 
107. Drew Tager
108. Care First South Pasadena
109. Robyn Nedelcu
110. Anthony LeBeau
111. Melinda LaBrie
112. Jonathan Oyaga
113. William Kelly 
114. Lauren Flemming
115. Vanessa Flores
116. Silvia Flores
117. David Flores
118. Francisco Flores
119. Alise Gutierrez
120. Robert Kelly
121. Kelley Foster
122. Owen Ellickson 
123. Caroline Quinn
124. Pocha Pena
125. James DeSimone
126. Amy Davis Jones
127. Chris Vasquez
128. Hailey Bugg
129. Aaron Salines
130. Joseph Haynes
131. Ben Carlton
132. Shauna Williams
133. James Decker
134. Bob Davis
135. Tommy Works
136. Olivia Kim
137. Jim DiSimone Esq. 
138. Jessica Bradford 
139. Ixchel Carrizales De Lara
140. Jayden Kemanian
141. Jackson Baughm
142. Jung Hee Choi 
143. John Kim
144. Joey Williams
145. Anh Hoang
146. Juan De Lara

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