THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29th, 2020
WCPD has twisted a narrative of a recent incident in an incredibly disturbing and divisive way to make themselves look better about using lethal force against a protester. They have released a false statement that omitted crucial pieces of information about this particular encounter, and have gone to the extremes of deleting comments and blocking commenters from discussing eye witness accounts on their online statement posts. Witnesses saw an SUV pull up behind a group of protestors and get dangerously close to the group which consisted of underage youth, teens, and a few adults. Witnesses clearly have stated that this SUV drove into and hit some within the group of protestors while they were marching.
Witnesses say the driver was clearly under the influence, his eyes were totally glazed over, and as he was rolling down his window and opening his door to scream at the kids trying to march, the smell of alcohol was easily detected on his breath.
Protestors were trying to get the SUV to stop as it started hitting people. When the police pulled up, one protestor walked over to ask them to get the driver to stop. Mind you as the police stood there the driver was STILL MOVING INTO PEOPLE. As the protester was asking them to get the SUV to stop this driver who was visibly intoxicated, without warning, the protester was shot in the chest with a rubber bullet at a distance known to be lethal. WCPD nearly murdered someone for asking them to stop a car that was continuously being allowed to hit kids protesting. Luckily, the protester was wearing some protective gear that absolutely saved his life.
The bias in their statement is extremely disappointing and sickening. Their statement confirmed that a white-looking man clearly under the influence who drives into a group of people deserves your praise.
The police department was historically founded as the runaway slave patrol in 1704 and we can see this evidence with their use of the exact same badge designs as well as their bias, brutality, and aggression against People of Color every single day around the Bay Area. WCPD is murderous, cruel, and racism runs deep through their department.
Rubber bullets are a type of Baton round. Despite the name, rubber bullets typically have either a metal core with a rubber coating, or are a homogeneous admixture with rubber being a minority component. 3% OF ALL PEOPLE HIT BY THE POLICE’S USE OF RUBBER BULLETS DIE. Many are seriously injured and have lifelong injuries from them.
*** PRESS RELEASE OF THE STATEMENT THAT WCPD PUBLICLY SENT OUT***
Interim Chief of Police Jay Hill
WCPD Case Number: 20-26596
Date / Time Occurred: October 23rd, 2020 at 9:37 p.m.
Location: N. Broadway / Lincoln Ave.
The Walnut Creek Police Department is informing our community of a protest that occurred in the downtown area in the late hours of October 23, 2020. This protest resulted in two bystanders being surrounded by a group while in their car and the arrest of one protestor.
At 9:37 p.m., two WCPD Officers observed a group of 20-25 protestors marching in the roadway on N. Broadway near Lincoln Avenue. Officers saw an uninvolved SUV traveling northbound on N. Broadway when a portion of the protestors walked in front of the vehicle and surrounded it. The actions of this group caused the SUV to stop in the roadway. Officers saw two to three protesters attempting to open the front driver side door to the SUV, while others from the group yelled at the occupants and kicked the car. Officers immediately activated the lights and sirens on their patrol cars in an attempt to get the crowd to disperse. The group did not move and continued kicking the SUV and trying to open the driver's door. Part of the group then walked towards Officers while others remained around the SUV, preventing it from moving. Officers gave repeated orders to move away from the SUV over a loudspeaker; however, the protesters did not move. The Officers feared for their safety and the safety of the occupants inside the SUV; therefore, one Officer deployed one 40mm rubber bullet at one protester in the upper torso. The same Officer deployed a second 40 mm rubber bullet round at the ground near the group that still surrounded the SUV.
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Officer gets out of car, cocks gun, and shoots person standing in the street in the upper torso, contrary to Walnut Creek Police Department statement.
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