HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo June 17 incidentJuly 23, 2015
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Office. Certain members of the community indicated a desire to pursue the issue with the
Johnson County Attorney's office.
Johnson County Attorney's Office (JCAO) and the Juvenile Court Office (JCO):
In a July 21st email from Patricia Weir of the Johnson County Attorney's Office to County
Supervisor Rod Sullivan, that Mr. Sullivan provided to me and others along with his response,
Ms. Weir summarizes where this incident currently stands:
"On June 25th, Emily Voss & I participated in a meeting with JCO Erin Altheide,
Gabe Cook (/CPO Juvenile Detective), & community members at the Juvenile
Court Office, and we thought we had it resolved. [However, -and his
mother were not present. Community members were purportedly speaking on
their behalf.] I'll find out what has happened since then.
What I do know is this: (1) These charges have never been referred to the JCAO
for a court petition. JCAO became involved because on the morning of June
1gth, JCO Erin Altheide sent community members to talk to Janet, after they
visited Erin asking for dismissal. Janet was working on the mall murder, so the
community members spoke briefly with me and we agreed to meet later, as I was
headed to trial that morning. We met on June 2ffh to follow up and left that
meeting believing we had resolution. (2) The video posted on the internet does
not show the full incident -the recreation center video does show the full
incident. (3) There is probable cause for both charges of criminal trespass and
interference. (4) Whereas, a more experienced officer may have talked with
-more before going "hands-on," Officer Graves didn't violate the law, or
even police policy. However, police training · an issue here -this was an
~ced officer who was by himself, & had an audience. (5)
--has a right to deny the charges a trial in Juvenile Court,
but typically, these minor charges don't come to court-they would be handled
informally at the Juvenile Court Office."
The Police Department and the City Administration concur with the comments made by Ms.
Weir. Currently, the juvenile is represented by legal counsel and any resolution of the charge
requires their participation. It is our understanding that a meeting between the juvenile, his
attorney, and the JCO was scheduled for today but has been rescheduled at the request of the
child's attorney.
Community Reaction:
A number of community members are most unhappy about the Police Department's interaction
with the juvenile. I have learned a community rally will be held in front of the City Hall
Washington Street entrance and there will likely be public comment at the formal City Council
meeting. I would urge you to be mindful that this is a juvenile and while others may choose to
use his name, I suggest that you do not. Further, the community may not know all of the details
of this incident and therefore may not have the same context that the police and court system is
privy to. Having said that we need to make clear what further actions the City will be taking.
Police Actions and Recreation Center Staff Training:
In reviewing the incident the Police Department found the officer did not violate law or
department policy. However, the Police Department recognizes that the officer moved very
quickly to a physical control technique that was likely not the most effective way to have dealt
with this situation. To that extent the Police Department has modified their arrest procedures
and policies to deploy more de-escalation techniques prior to deploying use of force. The officer
will receive further training which will reinforce and emphasize this technique especially when
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dealing with juveniles. The Chief wants to be clear that appropriate corrective action and
additional training will be provided to modify any unacceptable police conduct. Further, the
Parks and Recreation staff will undergo further training which will provide them with tools to use
in seeking compliance with the recreation facilities rules before calling for service from the
Police Department. The objective is to provide a safe and welcoming place for all community
members to recreate in.
Going Forward:
The Police Department understands that the tragic incidents that have taken a number of black
lives in the recent months across this country are creating a higher degree of public monitoring
and examination of police departments throughout the country and will likely cause further need
to examine police procedures and practices that have been in existence for a number of years.
The Police Department is committed to providing a safe community and developing practices
that our community finds acceptable to all persons who are in this city. Everyone in this
community deserves to be treated fairly and with respect.