SACRAMENTO, CA—On Thursday, June 10th, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) will launch the first in a series of Communities of Interest (COI) virtual hearings to capture community specific data that will help Commissioners to respect community boundaries to the best of their abilities when drawing district lines, as is mandated by California’s line drawing criteria.
When the Commission begins drawing maps using census data, they will need to follow this set of criteria, in this order, as outlined in the California Constitution.
- Districts must be of nearly equal population to comply with the U.S. Constitution.
- Districts must comply with the Voting Rights Act to ensure that minorities have a fair opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.
- Districts must be drawn contiguously, so that all parts of the district are connected to each other.
- Districts must minimize the division of counties, cities, neighborhoods, and communities of interest to the extent possible.
- Districts should be geographically compact such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for more distant populations.
- Where practicable, each Senate District should consist of two complete and adjacent Assembly Districts, and Board of Equalization districts should consist of ten complete and adjacent State Senate Districts. This is known as nesting.
We can obtain the city and county information from those jurisdictions, but we need the neighborhood and communities of interest information from Californians directly.
“The Commission is excited to hear directly from Californians about their Communities of Interest during our initial COI input meeting on Thursday, June 10th from 12 – 8 PM. Although we have been accepting Communities of Interest submissions online since March, these virtual input sessions are yet another opportunity for communities to share with the Commission about their Communities of Interest,” stated Commission Chair Isra Ahmad.
During these input meetings, participants will be asked to describe their community and will be encouraged to consider highlighting the following:
- Begin with your county or city.
- Mention the street names and significant locations in your neighborhood to help us identify the parameters of your community.
- What are your shared interests?
- What brings you together?
- What is important to your community?
- Are there nearby areas you want to be in a district with?
- Nearby areas you don’t want to be in a district with? Why or why not?
- Has your community come together to advocate for important services, better schools, roads, or health centers in your neighborhood?
Registration is not required to participate in these public input meetings. The call-in number for public input on the day of each event will be (877) 853-5247.
For more information regarding the June 10th event, please visit our website at: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/june_10_mtg. To view a full list of upcoming meetings, please visit: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/meetings. Additionally, Californians can skip the line and provide their input online by visiting: https://drawmycacommunity.org/. The online COI tool is available in fourteen languages and includes tutorials.
Every 10 years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its electoral districts so that the state’s population is evenly allocated among the new districts.
In 2008, California voters passed the Voters First Act, authorizing the creation of the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw new State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization district lines. In 2010, the Voters First Act for Congress gave the Commission the responsibility of drawing new Congressional districts following every census.
For more information, please visit WeDrawTheLinesCA.org.
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Following 2018 complaint filed by Contra Costa County resident with California Attorney General’s Office.
By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney
Martinez, Calif. – On May 20, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the District Attorneys’ Offices of Ventura, Sonoma, and San Joaquin Counties, entered into a negotiated settlement agreement with former MoviePass affiliated executives, Theodore Farnsworth and Mitchell Lowe, for engaging in numerous unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business acts and practices, while overseeing the operations of the now defunct movie theater subscription service. CCCDA MoviePass Documents
In total, Farnsworth and Lowe will have to pay $400,000 in civil penalties and cy pres restitution, as part of the signed Stipulated Judgment approved by the Honorable Nancy Davis Stark. In addition to the monetary payments, Farnsworth and Lowe are enjoined from engaging in any of the alleged unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business acts or practices committed during their tenure as MoviePass managers. The settlement gets divided by all the DA’s involved and some goes to the state. The DA’s then use the monies for consumer protection activities.
MoviePass, Inc. (MoviePass) was an American subscription-based movie ticket service headquarter in New York City. Founded in 2011, the service initially allowed subscribers to purchase up to three movie tickets per month for a discounted monthly fee. The service utilized a mobile phone app where users checked into a theater and chose a movie and showtime, which resulted in the cost of the ticket being loaded by MoviePass to a prepaid MoviePass debit card, which was then used to purchase the ticket from the movie theater.
In 2017, Helios and Matheson Analytics purchased MoviePass. Around the time of the purchase, the business model for MoviePass, shifted from a three movie per month subscription to offering, among other things, an “unlimited” subscription plan at $9.95 a month and an “unlimited” fixed rate annual subscription. However, over the course of the next two years, the business model and terms of service changed multiple times to the detriment of the consumers.
After the acquisition of MoviePass by Helios and Matheson Analytics, the Defendants engaged in numerous unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent acts and practices. These acts and practices include, but are not limited to:
• Falsely advertising that MoviePass subscriptions offer “unlimited” movie watching. Specifically, “any movie”, “any day”, at “any theater”, when in reality MoviePass continually added limitations to customers’ subscriptions.
• Unconscionably changing terms of service during a subscription period.
• Converting all prepaid “unlimited” plans to three movies per month.
• Shutting down the availability of movies when a certain dollar amount is reached. (Trip wire).
• Failing to notify autorenewal customers of material changes to their subscriptions.
• Continuously charging customers’ debit or credit cards after receiving notice of cancellation from customers.
In addition to the above acts and practices, in 2019, MoviePass suffered a data breach. The data breach was the result of a MoviePass engineer creating an unsecured and unencrypted server as a debugging tool. This server had more than 161 million pieces of personal identifying information, including names, MoviePass card numbers, credit card numbers, billing information, email addresses and login information, belonging to at least 58,000 consumers. Despite being notified by private individuals, MoviePass allowed this server to operate for three months before it was taken down. MoviePass failed to advise the California Attorney General’s Office of the data breach, as required by law
MoviePass shut down its operations in September of 2019. Both MoviePass and its parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January of 2020.
In 2018 a local Contra Costa County resident filed a complaint against MoviePass with the California Attorney General’s Office. The complaint alleged that MoviePass was in violation of the Terms of Service as the company was not showing available tickets in the mobile app and limited the number of movies to the consumer even though they paid in advance for a year of “unlimited” service. In turn, the complaint was forwarded to our office for further investigation.
We welcome residents to file consumer complaints with our office via our website, www.contracostada.org. Case information: People v. Theodore Farnsworth and Mitchell Lowe, Docket C21-01045, Contra Costa County Superior Court.
Read MoreAlso honors “Port Chicago 50” Black sailors he defended against court martial
By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District
On Tuesday, June 1, 2021, the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors unanimously voted to name the new regional park at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station “Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50.”
The name “Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50” recognizes the service of young African American sailors who served their country, both by serving in the US Military during WWII, and also by standing up to the US Military’s racially discriminatory policies of the day.
Their courage, and the advocacy of NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall on their behalf, ultimately led to desegregation of the military and changed the course of history.
This naming itself is historic, as this is the first regional park in Contra Costa County to be named after an African American.
“The Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50 park name acknowledges this important Black American history and social justice significance,” said East Bay Regional Park District Board Director Beverley Lane who has represented Concord on the East Bay Regional Park District Board since 1994. “Thurgood Marshall brought national attention to the case that prompted the U.S. Secretary of the Navy to order desegregation of the U.S. Navy in 1946,” added Lane.
Several community organizations, including the NAACP and Friends of Port Chicago National Memorial support the naming of the park in honor of Thurgood Marshall and the Port Chicago 50. The Park District’s citizen-led Parks Advisory Committee unanimously supported the name at its meeting on May 24. The City of Concord unanimously endorsed the park name at its May 29 City Council meeting.
“The new Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50 park name has both historical and representational significance,” said Congressman Mark DeSaulnier. “As a defender of the Port Chicago 50 in their historic fight against discrimination and wrongful conviction, Thurgood Marshall played an important role in their story. The trial, and Marshall’s role in it, helped to play a role in the desegregation of the Armed Forces. As the first African American Supreme Court justice, Marshall is more than deserving of this honor.”
The plan for the newly named “Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50” includes a joint visitor center with the National Park Service highlighting the history of the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial and the Diablo Valley, along with staging areas, and several miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking, and nature viewing. The Park District is partnering with the National Park Service on the future visitor center where this story can be told, along with all of the stories of this land, including its military history, agricultural history, natural history and restoration, and the stories of the Chupcan people who lived here.
“We appreciate all of the community’s input and engagement on this naming process, and we hope the support will continue as we work with our partners and elected officials to raise the funding needed to build a world-class visitor center in the park to tell these important stories,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth.
The Park District is currently designing road improvements and plans to open a portion of the expansive park south of Bailey Road within the next two to three years. The U.S. Navy and National Park Service officially transferred the 2,500 acres of open space to the Park District in 2019 after a two-decade process brought about by the decommissioning of the Concord Naval Weapons Station in the 1990s.
The East Bay Regional Park District is a system of beautiful public parks and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco Bay, established in 1934. The system comprises 121,000 acres in 73 parks including over1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning.
Read MoreBy Oakley Police Department
On Sunday, May 30th at around 5:45 a.m. armed male suspects entered a business in the area of Laurel and Empire and robbed the store of lottery tickets and cigarettes. Officers were able to identify a suspect vehicle and possibly one of the male suspects. They have been tied into other similar robberies in the area.
On Monday, May 31st at around noon, Oakley Police officers responded to a neighboring city that had stopped the suspect vehicle. The driver was arrested on unrelated charges and the vehicle was impounded as evidence.
The investigation is ongoing and the Oakley Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify one of the suspects, pictured here.
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James Sossaman, 44, Antioch resident, arrested May 31 for Unlawfully Causing a Fire (PC § 452(c)) and Felon in Possession of a Firearm (PC § 29800) and aerial view of May 31 Hargrove St., Antioch fire reveals area of grassfire origin and damaged apartment buildings. Photos: Con Fire
Investigators determine vegetation fire that destroyed eight apartments, displaced 40 residents caused by fireworks.
By Steve Hill, Public Information Officer, Con Fire
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Fireworks seized in conjunction with May 31 Antioch grassfire that led to destruction of eight apartments and displacement of 40 residents. Photo: Con Fire
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) today, June 1, 2021, announced its fire investigators made a fireworks-related arrest yesterday in relation to a fireworks-caused fire behind apartments in the 1700-block of Hargrove Street in Antioch that destroyed eight units and displaced 40 residents.
James Sossaman, 44, an Antioch resident, was arrested for Unlawfully Causing a Fire to Inhabited Structures (PC § 452(b)) and Felon in Possession of a Firearm (PC § 29800) and transported by Antioch Police to Martinez Detention Facility for booking.
Con Fire responded to multiple reports of a vegetation fire behind apartments in the 1700 block of Hargrove in Antioch, May 31 just after 5:30 p.m. While responding, Engine 81 reported a large column of black smoke from a half mile away. Upon arrival, the grass fire had already extended from the grass into a two-story apartment complex and a second-alarm response was ordered. An aggressive fire attack followed in an attempt to slow the spread of fire.
Through witness interviews and surveillance videos, investigators located the person responsible for the grass fire and determined it was caused by Sossaman throwing an M-100 pyrotechnic device into the field behind the apartment complex. Through the investigation, Sossaman was also found to be on felony probation. During a search of his apartment, a loaded firearm was located along with several other illegal fireworks.
Weather conditions at the time — temperatures in the upper 90s with wind gusts between 15-20 mph – quickly fed the fire into the neighboring apartments. Crews, including East Contra Costa Fire’s Battalion 5, were able to stop grassfire spread across the gully and protect the apartments on the west side of the incident.
Additional companies worked to extinguish the structure fires and search 10 separate apartments that were either on fire or in immediate danger of catching fire. Strong winds blew the fire across a breezeway to adjoining apartments. A coordinated fire attack resulted in the fire being extinguished at approximately 6:26 p.m. Crews were on scene for approximately three hours to overhaul and salvage as much as possible.
The fire displaced 40 residents and the American Red Cross assisted with housing for those displaced.
No firefighters were injured. Two civilians were transported to hospital for smoke inhalation.
Con Fire’s Fire Investigation Unit urges residents to help them fight the crime of arson across the county by calling the Arson Tip Line at 1-866-50-ARSON. They caution residents not to hesitate on information that seems too little or unimportant to matter, adding some of the most valuable tips come from residents who were not aware what they saw was very important to the investigation of an incident.
At 1-866-50-ARSON, residents can leave a recorded message about fire-related criminal activity in English or Spanish. Tips can be anonymous, but all tips are treated confidentially. Fire investigators sometimes need additional information, so inclusion of name and phone number is encouraged.
Read MoreBy Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston announced Friday, May 28, 2021 that a coroner’s jury reached a finding in the November 17, 2020 death of 30-year-old Ezekiel James McCoy of El Sobrante. The finding of the jury is that the death was an accident. (See related article)
McCoy sustained injuries during a fight with other inmates at the West County Detention Facility. After being treated and cleared by medical staff at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, he was placed in a negative air flow room at the Martinez Detention Facility pending the result of a COVID-19 test. He was checked on throughout the day and last checked at 4:23 PM. About nine minutes later, deputies found McCoy unresponsive.
The coroner’s jury, which heard two inquests on Friday, also reached a finding in the October 7, 2020 death of 31-year-old Kentreal Julius Irving of Antioch. The finding of the jury is that the death was an accident. (See related article)
Irving jumped to his death off the Highway 242 overpass while fleeing from Sheriff’s Deputies. At that time, Sheriff’s Deputies believed Irving to be from Concord.
The coroner’s jury reached the verdicts in both inquests after hearing the testimony of witnesses. The hearing officer for the McCoy inquest was Matthew Guichard; the hearing officer for the Irving inquest was Laura Pagey.
A coroner’s inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: accident, suicide, natural causes or at the hands of another person, other than by accident.
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By Fran Clader, CHP Director of Communications
Memorial Day is the traditional start to the summer travel season, and this weekend California’s roadways will likely be bustling with activity. To help ensure the safety of motorists throughout the holiday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will conduct a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).
The Memorial Day MEP will run from 6 p.m. Friday, May 28, to 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 31, and focus on properly using seat belts. During the MEP, all available CHP officers will be out enforcing traffic safety laws throughout the state. Officers will be watching carefully for distracted drivers and those who are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
“Seat belts save lives every day, yet some people still don’t buckle up,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “Start the holiday weekend off right by making sure you and your passengers are properly restrained.”
Approximately 78 percent of people killed in a crash within CHP jurisdiction during the 2020 Memorial Day MEP were not wearing a seat belt. Statewide, at least 31 people died in a crash during the holiday weekend. In addition, CHP officers made 854 arrests for impaired driving during the 78-hour traffic safety campaign.
Motorists are also reminded to protect child passengers through the proper use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. The law requires that, whenever possible, children under 8 ride in the back seat and that a child under 2 is always secured in a rear-facing car seat.
To reinforce the importance of seat belt usage, the CHP also is participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ongoing “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which runs May 17 – June 6.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
Read MoreRecommended by staff, advanced by district’s executive committee, and supported by Concord City Council
By Allen Payton
The Board of Directors for the East Bay Regional Park District will vote Tuesday, June 1 on the proposed name of Thurgood Marshall Regional Park Home of the Port Chicago 50, at the site of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The staff recommended the name, following a proposal made during public comments at the Sept. 3 board meeting, last year because there are no regional parks in Contra Costa County named after African Americans, and a subsequent petition signed by over 800 people to date.
However, there was little public outreach to gather input on a proposed name and only one news article about the naming it for Marshall was published last year. It wasn’t until Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe posted on his official Facebook page his support for the proposed name, earlier this month, that the Herald was made aware of it and other news reports were then published.
When asked about a public outreach effort on the naming of the park Director Colin Coffey mentioned the district’s website page dedicated to the matter. He also shared, “Director Dee Rosario told me that the Thurgood Marshall name arose from the initial surveys and was discussed by the executive committee at a meeting last year. He remembers himself suggesting that it could be a good name. So, this isn’t a new dynamic introduced all that recently.”
According to the district on the park’s webpage, “NAACP civil rights lawyer and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, helped defend the fifty black sailors accused of mutiny after the devasting Port Chicago Naval Magazine blast that killed 320 men, mostly African American, and injured 390 more, on July 17, 1944. It was the largest Homefront disaster of World War II. The military trial took place on Treasure Island in nearby San Francisco Bay from September 14 to October 24, 1944. Although the fifty sailors were found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison, Thurgood Marshall’s high-profile appeal paved the way for the desegregation of the entire U.S. military. Marshall went on to argue the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which led to school desegregation nationwide, and became the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice in 1967. The new park land formerly known as the Concord Naval Weapons Station, part of the larger Port Chicago military complex, has been referred to as ‘Concord Hills Regional Park’ during the planning process until a permanent park name is chosen.”
Until this past year, the name being considered for the park was Chupcan Territories Regional Park after the Bay Miwok tribe that occupied the area during the 1700’s. District staff created a video about the history for the naming of the park for Justice Marshall.
The future Regional Park is in the Los Medanos Hills between Concord and Pittsburg. The 2,500-acre site, along with undeveloped land along this border, forms a greenbelt between the municipalities. The Regional Park site is divided into two sections north and south of Bailey Road.
Both the district’s Executive Committee and the Concord City Council, also acting as the Local Reuse Authority for the former naval base, have expressed their support for naming the park for Marshall. During their meeting Tuesday night May 25, the council voted to send a letter to the park district offering their official endorsement.
In a post on her Twitter feed Wednesday morning, Councilwoman Carlyn Obringer wrote, “Thrilled that my Concord City Council colleagues joined me in officially supporting the naming of the new East Bay Regional Park District here in Concord as the Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50.”
Site History and Timeline
The Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) accommodated the changing needs of its inhabitants and settlers for centuries, including indigenous people, miners, ranchers, and the United State Navy, as well as local wildlife species from grizzly bears to California red-legged frogs. For the last six decades, the property has been used exclusively by the military, limiting public access as well as private development. The CNWS emerged as a prominent part of the East Bay landscape, offering striking grassland and hillside views while contributing to a substantial network of undeveloped open space. CNWS was approved for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) in 2005. In 2012, the Concord City Council adopted the Concord Reuse Project Area Plan and designated the western slopes of the Los Medanos Hills and the adjacent area as the future regional park site. In July 2020, the East Bay Regional Park District adopted a Land Use Plan and an Environmental Impact Report to begin the process of building a future regional park on over 2,500 acres, in partnership with the National Park Service, to serve generations of current and future East Bay residents.
Timeline
- 2021: Board considers permanent name for the future parks at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station
- 2020: EBRPD adopted Concord Hills Land Use Plan – guiding future park development
- 2019: EBRPD accepted possession of future Regional Park site.
- 2010: Pres. Obama established Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Legislation authorized Jointly operated EBRPD/NPS Visitor Center highlighting Port Chicago history
- 2010: Reuse Plan adopted designating ~2,540 acres of new Regional Park + 12k new homes, 6m sq. ft of commercial, etc.
- 2006: Concord Reuse Project initiated to evaluate reuse of 5,200-acre Inland Area
Board Meeting Information
The June 1st board meeting begins at 1:00 p.m. and the public has the opportunity to offer comments on the naming of the park.
Members of the public can listen and view the meeting in the following way: Via the Park District’s live video stream which can be found at https://youtu.be/dE2RtF1gYqc
Public comments may be submitted one of three ways:
- Via email to Yolande Barial Knight, Clerk of the Board, at ybarial@ebparks.org. Email must contain in the subject line public comments – not on the agenda or public comments – agenda item #. It is preferred that these written comments be submitted by Monday, May 17, 2021 at 3:00 pm.
- Via voicemail at (510) 544-2016. The caller must start the message by stating public comments – not on the agenda or public comments – agenda item # followed by their name and place of residence, followed by their comments. It is preferred that these voicemail comments be submitted by Monday, May 17, 2021 at 3:00 pm.
- Live via zoom. If you would like to make a live public comment during the meeting this option is available through the virtual meeting platform: *Note: this virtual meeting platform link will let you into the https://zoom.us/j/98708891830 virtual meeting for the purpose of providing a public comment. If you do not intend to make a public comment please use the YouTube link at: https://youtu.be/dE2RtF1gYqc to observe the meeting. It is preferred that those requesting to speak during the meeting contact the Clerk of the Board at ybarial@ebparks.org by 3:00 pm on Monday, May 17, 2021 via email or voicemail (510) 544-2016 to provide name and the subject of the public comment or item to be addressed.
Comments received during the meeting and up until the public comment period on the relevant agenda item is closed, will be provided in writing to the Board of Directors, included transcribed voicemails. All comments received by the close of the public comment period will be available after the meeting as supplemental materials and will become part of the official meeting record. If you have any questions please contact Yolande Barial Knight, Clerk of the Board, at ybarial@ebparks.org or (510) 544-2021.
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Video screenshot from Pittsburg Police Officer John Odell’s body camera at the 6:55 mark showing suspect Patrick Watkins with a gun in his right hand on Thursday night, May 20, 2021.
Was outside apartment of his child’s mother
By Pittsburg Police Department
The Pittsburg Police Department can now release the name of the man involved in last Thursday’s officer involved shooting as 31-year-old Patrick Watkins. In addition, pursuant to Pittsburg Police policy, are releasing officers’ body worn camera footage of the incident in an effort to foster transparency and trust with our community. (See video WARNING: contains graphic images and language) (See related article)
Updated Incident Summary:
Late Thursday evening, May 20, 2021, Pittsburg Police Officers were called to an apartment complex in the 2300 block of Loveridge Road regarding Watkins holding a handgun, banging on the front door of the apartment of his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child. When officers arrived, they contacted Watkins as he was seated on a stairway leading to the second-floor apartment. Officers asked Watkins to walk down the stairs and speak with them, but he ignored their commands and began walking back up the stairs away from the officers. Officers followed Watkins up the stairs and continued to ask him to stop and not walk away.
As Watkins reached the top of the stairs, officers observed he was in possession of a handgun in his right hand. Officers directed Watkins to get on the ground and drop the handgun. Watkins turned towards the officers and pointed the handgun directly at them. Officer Odell then used his service weapon, striking Watkins in the upper torso, and causing Watkins immediately to fall to the ground, still holding the handgun in his right hand. After Officer Odell used his service weapon, he (Officer Odell) dropped down onto the stairway. As Officer Simpson approached the top of the stairway, he observed Watkins still pointing the handgun at officers. Officer Simpson then used his service weapon. Officers moved to a safe location at the bottom of the stairway.
Following the shooting, officers continued speaking with Watkins, asking him to drop the handgun so they could provide him with medical attention. Watkins did not respond. After nearly 40 minutes of attempting to get Watkins to put down the handgun, officers used ballistic shields to safely walk up to Watkins and take the handgun from his right hand. Officers then started life saving measures with paramedics. Unfortunately, Watkins died at the scene due to his injuries.
A Walther .22 Caliber handgun was recovered from Watkins’s right hand. While the handgun Watkins had in his possession was found to be unloaded, there was a live round for the handgun located next to him.
The officers involved in the incident are members of the Pittsburg Police Department Patrol Team and identified as Officer John Odell and Office r Greg Simpson. Officer Odell has been a Pittsburg Police Officer for two and a half years and Officer Simpson has been a Pittsburg Police Officer for over five years.
The Contra Costa County Officer Involved Incident Protocol has been enacted and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office will be completing an independent investigation into this incident. The Pittsburg Police Department’s independent outside investigator is also conducting an independent investigation of the incident pursuant to department policy. This is still an active investigation.
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By Brentwood Police Department
In November 2020, the Brentwood Police Department initiated an investigation where Cory Baugh, male, 38 years old, (pictured) from Angels Camp was accused of sexually assaulting both male and female minors several years ago, while Baugh was a resident of Brentwood. Baugh reportedly befriended the victims between 2011 and 2015.
On 05/10/21, Baugh was arrested on an outstanding warrant associated with this investigation for multiple felony sex crimes involving minors. Baugh was subsequently booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.
Based on information revealed during the investigation, it is believed there may be more victims that have yet to come forward.
The Brentwood Police Department is requesting anyone with information or potential victims to contact Detective Ruth Talley at 925-809-7793.
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