And Riverside County's rate of jail deaths has increased in recent years. Press Releases. Gavin Newsom instituted a statewide stay-at-home order due to the burgeoning. The California Department of Justice released data that showed Brawn Lamar Hampton's May 26 death as the most recent in Riverside County. A Riverside County Sheriff's deputy has been shot near Lake Elsinore, the agency confirmed just after 5:00 p.m. Friday. "The metrics are increasing," he added during a press conference in Los Angeles, "and it's not a trend line you want to see. County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said he is concerned by the jail deaths, including those from drug overdoses, and hopes the attorney general's investigation will find solutions. "As part of my offices ongoing efforts to support constitutional policing, the California Department of Justice is opening a civil rights investigation into the Riverside County Sheriffs Office. The Riverside Police Department is a department of dedicated professional police officers and civilian personnel committed to providing the highest quality of service and protection to the community. The announcement comes as 20 inmates have died in the county's jails since January 2022, often with the sheriff's department releasing scant information about the individuals and virtually no public discussion of how to stop further loss of life. It's these kinds of statistics, not any one incident, Bonta said Thursday, that lay the foundation for his pattern or practice investigation. The Desert Sun called for similar oversight later that month. They have drug addictions or mental health issues and they arent getting proper medical treatment.. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a statement . That investigation is ongoing. Those who have asked the sheriff's department for details about the deaths and what was done to prevent them have often been told that lengthy investigations, sometimes extending to more than a year, prevented the rapid release of autopsy reports or other vital information. When some communities dont see or feel they are being treated equitably by law enforcement, it contributes to distrust and hurts public safety. In 2022, there were 18 people who died while incarcerated in Riverside County jails, the highest number in the county in the last 15 years, according to a letter from inmate advocacy groups to the Board of State and Community Corrections earlier this month. "I am honored and proud to receive this award from the men and women who place their lives on the line to protect letter_to_ag_bonta_-_investigation_of_rsd4-2. A fair, unbiased investigation of the jail system will reveal no systematic mistreatment of inmates by Riverside County Sheriff employees.. Bonta said Thursday that his office could request that a court order changes to how the department operates if problems are found. Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner 4095 Lemon Street Riverside, CA 92501 Phone: 951-955-2400; Government Websites by CivicPlus . The letter detailed their requests for more oversight of the sheriff's department and the deaths in the jails. Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that a civil rights investigation is being opened into Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RSO). Along the way, Jeff has covered wildfires, a tropical storm, 9/11 and the Dec. 2 terror attack in San Bernardino. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Investigator Leone at the Lake Elsinore Sheriffs Station at (951) 2453300. In Sept 2021, the ACLU wrote a letter to the AG calling for an investigation on the Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. During elections, we meet with candidates for office and the proponents and opponents of ballot initiatives and then make recommendations to voters. The deputy has died, the Riverside County Sheriff's Dept announced. The county paid $136,000 to settle a federal civil rights suit filed by Chen-Chen Hwang, 67, and her husband, Jiun-Tsong Wu, 75, states a news release from their . At a Los Angeles news conference, Bonta said the investigation is necessary because that trust between the county sheriffs office and the community it serves is in peril., In a YouTube video, Bianco, a Republican who has been sheriff since 2019, accused Bonta, a Democrat, of a staging political stunt to appease an anti-law enforcement activist base for their support when he announces his run for governor.. Press Releases. That's the same number that triggered an investigation by the California State Auditor of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department in 2021, which found that a county oversight board was lacking and, in part, recommended the attorney general's office expand its role there. Updates will follow as soon as more information becomes available. In 2022, 5 in every 1,000 inmates died in Riverside County jails. Today, Jeff writes about Riverside County government and regional politics. A Riverside County Sheriff's deputy was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley Thursday afternoon. That year, Riverside County had a rate of 3 in every 1,000 die. Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Don Olson File # T223630155 Update: On March 3, 2023, after a month's long investigation, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office - Palm Desert Traffic Team, obtained an arrest warrant for Ricardo Meza, 24 years, of Palm . On Friday, January 13th, 2023, Deputy Darnell Calhoun made the ultimate sacrifice." The sheriff's news releases, however, had announced. Unfortunately, it is clear that amid concerning levels of in-custody deaths and allegations of misconduct too many families and communities in Riverside County are hurting and looking for answers. Bonta noted he assumed an investigation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and accountability actions in connection with the Torrance and Bakersfield police departments. Contests & Promotions Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines, EEO Report | FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Daily News Headlines Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that a civil rights investigation is being opened into Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RSO). 0:00. This investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Investigator Garcia-Flores at 951-955-1700. Severe Weather Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, seen Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, said the investigation of his department by the California attorney generals office is a politically motivated stunt. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department, located in Southern California, is reeling following the death of two of its deputies Darnell Calhoun and Isaiah Cordero who were killed in. Press Releases Riverside County Sheriff, CA CivicEngage Sort By: All Categories 157 Stories Posted on: February 27, 2023 Homicide Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Ben Ramirez File # F230570023 Details: MENIFEE The Riverside County Sheriff's Department released footage from body-worn cameras Saturday that shows two deputies shooting to death a 37-year-old man who was armed with a handgun after a pursuit on the 215 Freeway.. Juan Miguel Bejar was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred in Ventura County on May 2, according to Riverside County sheriff's officials. This investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Investigator Garcia-Flores at 951-955-1700. Nigro told The Desert Sun that she doesn't trust the sheriff's department to do an impartial investigation of his death. Washington County and Riverside-Martin boys basketball game ends early after fight, Knights players involved The investigation affirms what families impacted by sheriffs violence have long demanded, Luis Nolasco, a senior policy advocate and organizer at the Southern California ACLU, said via email. There are no outstanding suspects and anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Corporal Stavness or Investigator Birmingham at the Cabazon Sheriffs Station at 951-922-7100 or the Riverside County Sheriffs Department at 951-776-1099. By Kim Jarrell Johnson. "We hope that this will lead to meaningful accountability and oversight over a department rife with in-custody deaths of county residents.". And public calls for more information about the increased rate of death have been met with virtual silence from the sheriff's department and county officials. Lifesaving measures were unsuccessful and Trask was ultimately pronounced deceased. Jeff Horseman grew up in Vermont and honed his interviewing skills as a supermarket cashier by asking Bernie Sanders Paper or plastic? After graduating from Syracuse University in 1999, Jeff began his journalistic odyssey at The Watertown Daily Times in upstate New York, where he impressed then-U.S. Senate candidate Hillary Clinton so much she called him John at the end of an interview. They have not received a formal response to those requests. Deputies put a spit mask on Serrano and placed him face down on a checkout counter. Deputy Calhoun was later pronounced deceased.". As a reminder, "Community Policing . The county's death toll is outpacing other California counties. We will be completely open, honest, and share everything we can with our community throughout this investigation because we have serious concerns that Bontas DOJ will not.". Download the News Channel 3 app here. Big Bear Lake. From there, he went to Annapolis, Maryland, where he covered city, county and state government at The Capital newspaper before love and the quest for snowless winters took him in 2007 to Southern California, where he started out covering Temecula for The Press-Enterprise. Bryant was later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for murder. He is right about that. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) By The Editorial Board | opinion@scng.com | The Riverside County Sheriff's Office wants to remind citizens of the dangers of illicit narcotics, many of which may contain Fentanyl. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department encourages anyone with information or video regarding the incident to contact Central Homicide Investigator Button at (760) 393-3531 or (951) 955-2777. Neighboring Orange and San Bernardino counties have not reported more than 13 and 15 deaths in a year, respectively. Most people being held in the county's five jails are awaiting trial. News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Coroner Press Release - San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Coroner Press Release 702301385: On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 6:18 pm, Ontario Police Department responded to I-10 East bound on ramp and Euclid Ave. for a reported traffic collision.