West County | Contra Costa Herald

Police make arrest, DA files charges in July murder of Antioch man in North Richmond

August 3, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Kendrick Barfield

On Tuesday, July 19th, 2016 at 9:45 PM, Richmond police officers responded to calls of multiple shots fired in the city’s Central District – North Richmond, with a possible victim of a shooting. Officers arrived and found 32 yr. old Paul King of Richmond suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso. Mr. King was lying in the middle of the roadway in the 200 block of Gertrude Ave. where he succumbed to his injuries.

Homicide Detective M. Castillo along with other detectives responded to the scene and began their investigation. Detectives learned that the incident was about an argument between Paul King and the suspect. The disagreement escalated and the suspect shot Mr. King multiple times before he fled from the scene. Detective Castillo identified the suspect as 39 yr. old Kendrick Barfield of Richmond.

On Friday, July 29th, 2016, Detective Castillo, along with RPD’s Special Investigations Section (SIS) detectives located and arrested Barfield in an apartment in the city’s Southern District.

On Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016, Kendrick Barfield was charged for the murder of Paul King and multiple enhancements. His bail is set at $5.8 million.

Writer: Shooting death by Richmond police was unnecessary, DA report is wrong

August 1, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Editor:

The shooting death of Richard “Pedie” Perez by the Richmond Police Officer was unnecessary. The Officer-absolving findings by the RPD and D.A.’s Office also was wrong. I know because I personally investigated the matters for the victim’s family attorney.

I have about 75,000 hours of law enforcement related investigations employment, experiences, training, education, and a lot of expertise in death investigations. For 33 plus of those years, out of 50 years total, I was a full time sworn Officer, Police Supervisor, Investigations Units’ Supervisor, and State P.O.S.T. certified Police Supervisor and Homicide Investigator.

I personally examined and photographed Perez’s deceased body, finding that he had more gunshot bullet entries than the three the police claimed. Perez, in my opinion and experiences, was not a violator of Penal Code Section 647f – Public Intoxication (as corroborated by the surveillance video tapes). Perez was also not “swaying from side to side” as police claim. The agencies’ use of DUI levels regarding Perez was also disingenuous and misleading! Perez was not driving! I also interviewed eye witnesses, reviewed the store’s recorded video tapes of the events, and Perez’s and the responsible officer’s actions. I overall determined that the Officer didn’t have to use deadly force when he instead had readily available non-lethal alternatives at hand.

As in the Oscar Grant shooting death case, which I also personally investigated, the actions by the officers in these, and other similar, cases further increasingly endanger other uninvolved officers’ lives, performances, and community support (as evidenced, unfortunately, by the on-going attacks and deaths nationwide of even uninvolved officers). I’ve been alerting and warning law enforcement agencies over the years now about such possibilities and predicted repercussions. It seems to have fallen on deaf ears, with more uninvolved officers suffering the consequences.

It’s time that they finally admit that they’ve responded wrongly, have been close-minded, and should now move forward by honestly and fully addressing how to positively try to correct this dangerous and deadly environment they’ve contributed to. Intimidating and verbally attacking incidents’ news reporters by police defenders and POAs is reprehensible. They can continue to hide from it but I again warn that it could cost more citizens’ and officers’ lives, and their families, while they remain in their self-protecting denials with their heads buried in the ground. Don’t they get it, or even care?

Ralph A. Hernandez, Antioch

Richmond Citywide “Alive & Free” Ceasefire Night Walk, Friday, July 22

July 21, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The Ceasefire Lifelines to Healing Community invites you to come out and help us spread the message that we want everyone in our community to be alive and free. Join us for this Citywide Walk to continue to share our love across the City of Richmond.

Let’s make this our best year ever as we walk to express our message: “Alive & Free.”

The East Bay Performing Arts Center will be walking with us to bring sounds of joy and hope, as we walk through our communities that have experienced pain because of the gun violence and crime. Come join us in an expression of love.

CEASEFIRE NIGHT WALK

Friday, July 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church

321 Alamo Ave., Richmond

COMING UP

Friday July 29th New Hope Missionary Baptist 321 Alamo Ave., Richmond

For more information contact Rev. Donnell “Rickey” Jones: 510-331-3605 or donnell@ccisco.org

Contra Costa DA explains why no charges against officer in 2014 Richmond shooting

July 18, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

On Thursday, July 7, 2016, Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark A. Peterson released a report requested by the Richmond City Council describing the investigation into the death of Richard Perez III who was shot and killed by a Richmond Police Officer on September 14^th, 2014. The report also outlines the reasons why criminal charges were not filed against the officer.

For over 30 years Contra Costa County law enforcement agencies have utilized a county-wide protocol to investigate incidents when officers or civilians are shot or killed during law enforcement encounters, or when officers are accused of crimes. The formal process is entitled the “Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incidents Protocol,” and informally known as the “Protocol” system.

The process was adopted by the county’s Police Chiefs’ Association and the District Attorney’s Office early in the 1980’s, and since then hundreds of “Protocol” cases have been investigated under this approach. The approach has proven to be a very effective means to conduct such sensitive probes and joins a team of District Attorney inspectors with investigators from the involved agency to jointly investigate all such incidents. Their work is overseen by a senior Deputy District Attorney.

Pursuant to the county-wide Protocol, the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff/Coroner holds Inquests following virtually every death involving law enforcement officers. These Inquests are open to the public, and are conducted by a private attorney acting as the hearing officer for the Coroner’s Office. Such hearings are held in front of a jury of citizens randomly selected from the Superior Court jury pool.

The death of Mr. Perez was investigated pursuant to the county’s Protocol. The report is attached which describes the investigation, and the reasons charges were not filed against the officer.

Inquiries concerning the death of Mr. Perez, or the Protocol process can be directed to Deputy District Attorney Barry Grove who oversees the District Attorney’s Protocol team. He can be reached at (925) 957-2200.

Read the complete report, here: CCDA Report on Perez shooting

Annual Sugar Town Festival & Street Fair in Crockett, Sunday, July 17th

July 15, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The Sugartown Festival is sponsored by the Crockett Chamber of Commerce and is celebrating its 8th year. It is held the third Sunday of July, this year July 17th from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

It is a great outdoor music festival and street fair. It is family friendly, has great arts and crafts, food, beer, wine and live entertainment. Stroll through a shady street, enjoying the food and wine, shopping the great arts and craft vendors while enjoying wonderful music, with two stages to choose from.

The Sugartown festival features two stages with well known artists. Seating and dancing spaces are available.

Lagunitas Brewing Company is the choice beer at the Lagunitas beer gardens. Wine and icey cold Margaritas are also sold to quench your thirst.

See the Arts Calendar at AC5.org for more information.

FContact the Crockett Chamber of Commerce at either P.O. Box 191, Crockett, CA 94525 or by calling 510-787-1155.

Arrest made in battery in Rodeo last Saturday, now a homicide

July 7, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

On Saturday, July 2, 2016 at about 7:15 PM, the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff was notified by John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek that one of their patients, who was severely injured, was the victim of a battery that occurred in Rodeo earlier in that day, as well as the previous day.

Detectives from the Investigation Division made contact with the suspect, who was interviewed. 56-year-old Michael Endicott of Hercules was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on felony battery charges and a probation violation.

The victim, identified as 69-year-old Ronald Kemp of Rodeo, died on Sunday at the hospital. Endicott’s charges now include homicide. He is being held without bail.

Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to call the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Wife of Orlando terrorist was born, grew up and got married in Contra Costa County

June 20, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Noor Zahi Salman and Omar Saddiqui Mateen from a Facebook photo.

By Allen Payton

According to an ABC News report on Sunday, June 19, 2016 and an L.A. Times article posted today, Noor Zahi Salman, the widow of Orlando terrorist Omar Saddiqui Mateen, was born in San Pablo, grew up in Rodeo, graduated from high school in Crocket and married Mateen in Hercules in Western Contra Costa County, California.

The ABC News report states:

The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter had learning difficulties when she was in middle school and was enrolled in special education classes, according to her now retired teacher in California.

Susan was Noor Zahi Salman’s teacher at her middle school in Crockett, California. ABC News is not using Susan’s full name or showing her face at her request.

“Noor had difficulty with retention. She had difficulty with conceptualizing, understanding — all challenges to her,” Susan said. “She tried hard. She was very sweet.”

Her family confirmed that Susan was Salman’s special education teacher and that she was enrolled in special education classes.

Susan said Salman was considered a “special day class student” – meaning she had to take all her classes with special education teachers.

The L.A. Times article provided more information about Salman’s background and local ties.

The child of Palestinian immigrants, Salman was born in San Pablo, in the Bay Area, and grew up in Northern California in a hilly neighborhood of tract homes in Rodeo, about 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. She graduated from John Swett High School in 2004.

They were married in Hercules, in Contra Costa County, Calif., on Sept. 29, 2011.

Although Salman accompanied Mateen on at least one trip to the Pulse nightclub before the attack for what is being considered reconnaissance, she has not been charged with any crimes, yet, nor is she currently listed as a suspect.

“With respect to the wife, I can tell you that that is only one of many interviews we have done and will continue to do,” said Ronald Harper, FBI assistant special agent in charge in Orlando, said during a news conference on Wednesday, June 15.

“I am not going to speculate today if any charges have or will be brought in this case,” added Lee Bentley, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.

In spite of her special education classes in middle school, Salman graduated from both high school and college, according to other news reports.

The FBI investigation continues.

DA Peterson, West County Police Chiefs meet to address freeway shootings

June 18, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

On Thursday, Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark A. Peterson and the West Contra Costa County Police Chiefs Association met to discuss strategies to prevent, investigate, and prosecute freeway shootings in the West County area, and also to review the current efforts to address the shootings.

The West Contra Costa County Police Chiefs and their respective City Managers and City Council members believe that approaching this issue in a collaborative manner is essential. Prior to yesterday’s meeting, West County Chiefs met regarding the freeway shootings; all six chiefs agreed that with collaboration comes a better understanding of diverse perspectives and that the coordinated efforts of many can accomplish more than the efforts of one or a few separately.

Attending the meeting were chiefs from the El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, and Kensington police departments, as well as members of the county’s Probation Department, and the Offices of the Sheriff and District Attorney.

Since November 2^nd, 2015, there have been 13 shootings on Interstate 80, and one on Interstate 580, for a total of 14 shootings in the western portion of Contra Costa County. Of the 14 shootings, two resulted in the deaths of the occupants of the vehicles. On several other occasions, no one was injured as the shots struck only the vehicles, or missed the intended vehicle occupants and their cars entirely.

To date, the great majority of these freeway shootings are gang related. Many of the victimsand witnesses in these cases have been uncooperative with investigators. The lack of cooperation coupled with the random nature of the shootings makes solving such crimes extremely problematic. Additionally, since the crimes occur at very high speeds, there are very few, if any, percipient witnesses.

Chief Paul Fontana, commander of the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Golden Gate Division, has convened several recent meetings of law enforcement executives from throughout Contra Costa and Alameda counties regarding the shootings. In the county, an ad-hoc task force of teams of investigators from the CHP and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Contra Costa Safe Streets Task Force respond to all freeway shootings in the county.

The Task Force includes members of the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Richmond Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, Antioch Police Department, Concord Police Department, El Cerrito Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, District Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms,and Explosives.

In addition, Deputy District Attorney Barry Grove who has over a decade of experience prosecuting murder cases has been assigned to assist on all freeway shooting investigations; he routinely responds to the shooting sites to provide legal advice and investigative guidance.

In addition to the investigative efforts, law enforcement is working with representatives of the Governor’s Office, the California Department of Transportation, and local mayors and other elected officials to explore the use of other technologies to assist in the effort to stop the shootings. These include the installation of high resolution cameras, gunshot detection technology, and other technologies, on the freeways and the entry/exit ramps.

Preventing freeway shootings, and prosecuting those responsible for them, is one of the top priorities for government at all levels in the county.Nearly a quarter million people travel daily on Interstate 80 in Contra Costa County, and we will do everything possible to ensure their safety.

We are seeking the public’s help on this critical public safety matter. Anyone with information concerning the shootings is encouraged to contactthe California Highway Patrol Investigative Services Unit at (510) 622-4609 or 1-800-TELL-CHP, or your local law enforcement agency.

West County Police Chiefs Association

Hercules Chief of Police Bill Goswick (Chairperson, West County Police Chiefs)

El Cerrito Interim Chief of Police Paul Keith

Kensington Chief of Police Kevin Hart

Pinole Chief of Police Neil Gang

San Pablo Chief of Police Lisa Rosales

Richmond Chief of Police Allwyn Brown

Office of the Sheriff Captain Dan Hoffman, Patrol Division Commander

Contra Costa Sheriff’s CASE team seizes .30 caliber machine gun from Crockett home

June 11, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

A machine gun was among the many guns seized from a home in Crockett by the Contra Costa Sheriffs CASE team in a May raid.

Seized .30 caliber machine gun.

Following an investigation, the CASE (Contra Costa County Anti-Violence Support Effort) team last month served a search warrant on a home in Crockett.

Inside the residence, CASE team members located numerous weapons, including an assault rifle and a .30 caliber machine gun. The investigation is ongoing.

The CASE Team is a joint effort by the Office of the Sheriff, California Department of Justice, California Highway Patrol, Pittsburg Police Department and Walnut Creek Police Department. CASE was created in November 2011 as a collaborative effort to reduce violent crimes in Contra Costa, especially those related to illegal firearms.

Glover, Avila Farias in November run-off in race for District 5 Supervisor

June 10, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

By Allen Payton

While the County Elections Office continues to count ballots and provide updates, it’s clear that both Supervisor Federal Glover and Martinez Councilwoman Anamarie Avila Farias have taken the top two spots in the race for District 5 Supervisor, and will be in the November run-off.

County Elections Office staff stated they had 56,000 ballots in the county left to count as of Wednesday, not including 19,000 provisional ballots nor those ballots that were postmarked by Tuesday and received by today.

As of the Thursday afternoon vote count update, Glover holds the top spot with 10,443 votes which is 35.26% of the votes and Avila Farias is in second with 9,197 votes which is 31.05%. Trailing in a distant third is former Martinez Mayor Mike Menesini with 4,339 votes or 14.65%, Hercules Mayor Dan Romero with 3,930 votes or 13.27% and then Conrad Dandridge with 1,604 votes or 5.42%.

Avila Farias received a large boost of support from both the firefighters and the deputy sheriffs in the county, with over $68,000 spent on her behalf.

The Elections Office has 28 days to certify the election and is expected to provide another update, later today and more next week, as the remaining ballots are counted.

Following are the results from the County Elections website as of Thursday, June 9, 4:04 p.m.:

ANAMARIE AVILA FARIAS	9,197	31.05%
CONRAD DANDRIDGE	1,604	5.42%
MICHAEL MENESINI	4,339	14.65%
FEDERAL GLOVER (I)	10,443	35.26%
DAN ROMERO	3,930	13.27%
WRITE-IN	107	0.36%
Total	29,620