Kern County deputies involved in fatal beating are back at work

[damnedifIknow]

"Six Kern County sheriff’s deputies and a sergeant, who last week were involved in a violent confrontation with a man who was struck numerous times with batons before he died, have returned to their regular jobs, officials said Tuesday.

David Sal Silva, 33, a father of four, was pronounced dead Wednesday less than an hour after eyewitnesses reported seeing several deputies repeatedly strike the man in the head with batons as he lay on the pavement.

Deputies had responded to a report of an intoxicated man. In addition to the deputies and sergeant, two California Highway Patrol officers were involved in the incident.

Raymond Pruitt, a Kern County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said the deputies and the sergeant present during the fatal incident last week “have been released to full duty.”

The department has identified those involved as deputies Ryan Greer, Tanner Miller, Jeffrey Kelly, Luis Almanza, Brian Brock, David Stephens and Sgt. Douglas Sword."

"In an unusual move, sheriff's officials later detained for several hours two witnesses who had videotaped the incident on their phones. They were released only after they surrendered their phones to deputies.

Witnesses to the incident have described a violent scene, in which sheriff's deputies repeatedly struck Silva in the head with batons.

"I saw two sheriff's deputies on top of this guy, just beating him," eyewitness Ruben Ceballos said in an interview Monday. "He was screaming in pain ... asking for help. He was incapable of fighting back — he was outnumbered, on the ground. They just beat him up."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kern-county-beating-death-20130514,0,7255028.story

[HooptieWagon]

1. I bet those phone videos get erased.

...and AG Holder does a thorough investigation....NOT!

[damnedifIknow]

3. From the video on this site

it seems Kern County is pretty good at this type of brutality. Disgusting.

[JEB]

2. This shit has got to stop.

[msongs]

4. its how police behave when they think nobody can see them nt

[damnedifIknow]

5. I found another LAT article dated today saying this

"Youngblood said he has also placed the deputies involved on paid administrative leave.

"Because of information we have received in the last 48 hours, I made that decision," he said. "It is a question of officer safety on the streets. We have also taken measures to protect their homes."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sheriff-deputies-fatal-kern-county-beating-threats-20130515,0,231610.story

[Earth_First]

6. So I assume thay the FBI investigation found no wrongdoing?

Interesting how an entire investigation by the FBI can be concluded in a week's time...

[damnedifIknow]

7. Not sure

but the article just posted goes into more detail:

More deputies and two California Highway Patrol officers arrived at the scene. Vasquez said the deputies hogtied Silva, lifted him off the ground and dropped him twice, and delivered more baton blows and kicks to his head and body until he went limp.

"He was screaming for help. He was laying on his chest. The cops were still on top of him, still hitting him. My family and I screamed at them to stop hitting him.… The blood was all over Mr. Silva's face. We couldn't even tell if he had eyes or a mouth."

Vasquez said her friend yelled, " 'Somebody call the cops,' and everybody looked at her and said, 'They ARE the cops.' "

We were right across the street. We could see the whole thing," she said. "A cop light lit up the whole scene. I could remember every single one of [the deputies]. I dream about them every night. I wake up screaming. The beating was so brutal. I can still hear Mr. Silva screaming and yelling and gargling his blood."