Burt, and several other disability community members have launched a statewide campaign to let the French family know that they are not alone, to continue calls for accountability, and most broadly to try changing the ways that law enforcement interacts with adults with disabilities in California. Teresa Anderson, public policy director of The Arc of California, posted a call for action on the shooting. The failure to bring charges stunned a lot of our families.”Īnd beyond the Inland Empire, other autism and disability groups in California have weighed in. In all, safety is the top priority: safety in interactions outside the home and safety in police relations. Beth Burt, Executive Director of the Inland Empire Society and President of the Autism Society statewide, explained “We conduct regular surveys of our families on how we can best serve them. The Facebook page of the Autism Society-Inland Empire, an area that includes San Bernardino and Riverside counties, filled with posts on the shooting: anger and incredulity at the failure to bring charges, and determination that Officer Sanchez be held accountable. This time will be different, California’s disability activists have promised over the month since Estrin’s decision. The police officer in Miami was convicted of negligence, a misdemeanor, while the police officer in Chicago was given a six-month suspension. These shootings also received initial media attention, but then quickly faded from view. The Costco shooting is latest of a number of police shootings of men with developmental disabilities, in recent years, including in Chicago, and in North Miami. Will this shooting follow the trajectory of other police shootings of adults with developmental differences? Every defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.Ī copy of the complaint is available here.What to make of the shooting? The media have moved on, as has the District Attorney and local elected officials. It is important to note that criminal charges are only allegations against a person. Following a review of the incident by the Attorney General’s Office, Sanchez now faces a total of three felony charges for his actions that resulted in the death of one individual and the serious injury of two others. Sanchez also shot and wounded Kenneth’s parents, 58-year-old Russell and 59-year-old Paola. No matter who you are, nobody is above the law.”Īccording to court documents, on June 14, 2019, Sanchez, while off-duty, shot and killed 32-year-old Kenneth French inside a Costco. Ultimately, any loss of life is a tragedy and being licensed to carry a gun doesn’t mean you're not accountable for how you use it. “Where there’s reason to believe a crime has been committed, we will seek justice,” said Attorney General Bonta. “That’s exactly what these charges are about: pursuing justice after an independent and thorough review of the evidence and the law. Sanchez was arrested this morning in Riverside County. The charges announced today come after the conclusion of proceedings at the local level and a subsequent review of the incident by the Attorney General’s Office as authorized under Article V of the California Constitution. OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrest and filing of felony charges for alleged voluntary manslaughter and assault with a semiautomatic firearm against former Los Angeles Police Department officer Salvador Sanchez, as a result of an off-duty shooting that occurred during a Costco shopping trip in Corona, California in 2019.
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