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City Announces Independent Review of Man’s Death in Police Custody; Family’s Lawyer Leery

Published on Monday, March 13, 2017 | 5:43 am
 
J.R. Thomas’ death in Pasadena police custody on September 30, 2016 brought protests alleging police misconduct.

The City of Pasadena has made good on City Manager Steve Mermell’s promise to hire an independent investigator to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of resident Reginald Bernard “JR” Thomas in Pasadena police custody last year, but the man’s family attorney questions the City’s sincerity.

Pasadena’s Assistant City Manager Julie Gutierrez said late last week that Rick Braziel, an Executive Fellow with The Police Foundation and a former Sacramento police chief, was retained on March 6 for $29,855 to conduct an independent review of the case.

Gutierrez said the review should lead to a public report soon, although she did not say when that could be expected.

Caree Harper, a lawyer who said she was retained by Thomas’ family after his death, said despite the hiring of Braziel, the City is delaying the release of information intentionally.

“We have to be mindful that it is very likely the City of Pasadena wants the public to believe they are doing all they can to answer questions while simultaneously standing in the way of transparency alongside the County,” Harper said Sunday. “We are all too familiar with Pasadena’s delay tactic in the McDade matter and the explosive conclusions that finally saw the light of day after the case settled. And that is what is happening here. They are hoping public interest will die out before all facts are known.”

Thomas died while in police custody early Friday, September 30, after being tasered repeatedly and struggling with officers who responded to a 911 call which brought them to his apartment residence on East Orange Grove Boulevard.

The cause of his death still has not yet been announced by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators.

The incident led to weeks of protest from the Thomas family and concerned residents who accused police of wrongdoing and withholding information.

Earlier, the City Manager’s office said an independent review will look into the police conduct before and after Thomas’ death, and into the administrative review conducted by the Pasadena Police Department on the case.

The review will also look into the City’s decision to seek the help of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to conduct criminal investigations of critical incidents involving Pasadena police officers.

“The Police Foundation is the oldest nationally known independent, nonprofit research organization focused on advancing policing through innovation and science,” Gutierrez wrote the City Council. “Rick (Braziel) is an Executive Fellow with the Foundation and brings with him over 33 years of law enforcement experience as well as high-profile critical incident reviews. He was the lead investigator into the events related to the Christopher Dorner shootings in Southern California.”

Gutierrez said Braziel was also a member of the US Department of Justice-sponsored team sent to Ferguson, Missouri to review the police response to the riots, and he continues to work on a DOJ Collaborative Reform initiative in St. Louis.

Braziel’s profile in the Police Foundation website says he was Sacramento police chief from 2008 until his retirement in 2012. Braziel is now president of the California Peace Officers Association, treasurer of the Police Executive Research Forum, a member of the California Police Chiefs Association board of directors and Salvation Army advisory board. He also served as chair of the Central California Intelligence Center Governance Board.

Braziel also wrote a book, “Cop Talk: Essential Communication Skills for Community Policing,” where his commitment to community policing is illustrated. He is also a nationally recognized instructor on the topic. He consults and instructs for Humboldt State University in team building, communication skills, community policing, and leadership.

He received a BA and an MA in communication studies from California State University, Sacramento. In 2006, he received a master of arts in security studies from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. His thesis resulted in a $3.1 million grant toward the creation of communities of learning.

Gutierrez said Braziel also serves as the Inspector General for the Sheriff’s Department of Sacramento County and provides independent oversight, and when necessary recommends changes to its operations.

“His work there and his latest work in the review of the terrorist attack in San Bernardino provide him with a wealth of knowledge that serves our City well,” Gutierrez added.

A report in the Pasadena Star-News said neither Braziel nor the Police Foundation is allowed to respond to public or media inquiries related to the review.

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