{"id":12729,"date":"2015-06-10T21:56:42","date_gmt":"2015-06-11T04:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=12729"},"modified":"2015-06-15T19:33:44","modified_gmt":"2015-06-16T02:33:44","slug":"city-of-oxnard-investigative-report-police-shooting-tattoo-allegations-unfounded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=12729","title":{"rendered":"City of Oxnard Investigative Report: Police “Shooting Tattoo” Allegations Unfounded"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY RAUL HERNANDEZ<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notebookventura@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Police<\/a>
Police Chief Jeri Williams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OXNARD, CALIF.<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2014 An internal administrative investigation of the Oxnard Police Department concluded that allegations that some Oxnard police officers earn and put on so-called “shooting tattoos”after they have been involved in shootings are unfounded, Police Chief Jeri Williams<\/strong> said Wednesday.<\/p>\n

In an interview, \u00a0Chief Williams said she is “very happy” the allegations were unfounded, adding that Oxnard police officers neither “celebrated” nor “commemorated” shootings, including fatal shootings, by putting tattoos on their bodies.<\/p>\n

Chief Williams stated that the accused officers cooperated with the investigation.<\/p>\n

“The accused officers cooperated with investigators, and provided the investigators with visual confirmation,” she stated.<\/p>\n

The investigators noted that none of the officers had tattoos that were consistent with the description provided by American Justice Notebook.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Investigators noted that some of the accused officers had tattoos that had no relation to officer-involved shootings or had no tattoos on their body at all. One of the accused, had never been in an officer-involved shooting,” Williams stated in press release.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Department takes allegations of misconduct seriously. \u00a0This includes allegations of excessive force, as well as those allegations that compromise the public\u2019s trust. I am pleased that all of the involved officers volunteered to be inspected, and that the investigation cleared them of any misperception the public may have about the culture of the Oxnard Police Department.\u201d \u00a0Chief Williams<\/strong> also added, \u201cIt is troublesome that word of the allegations from an anonymous source with unknown credibility was widely spread on the internet, and it is unfortunate some members of the public may never hear what the actual facts of the matter turned out to be.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Oxnard<\/a>
City Manager Greg Nyhoff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

City Manager Greg Nyhoff<\/strong> noted that \u201cIt is critical that our police officers have the trust of the community. \u00a0While I agree with the conclusions of the investigation, I do not condone any symbol or action that could be construed as glorifying the use of force. \u00a0This is especially important in light of recent tragic incidents around the country. \u00a0I am pleased that the Police Department took decisive steps to have this matter investigated independently.\u201d<\/p>\n

The San Francisco-based law firm of Renne Sloan Holtzman and Sakai,<\/a>was hired in September by the city of Oxnard to conduct an administrative investigation.<\/p>\n

The Allegations of \u00a0“Shooting Tattoo” by Former Officer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"oxnard<\/a>
Drawing of Alleged Shooting Tattoo provided by former Oxnard Police Officer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A drawing of “Shooting Tattoo” by a former Oxnard police officer was provided last year to American Justice Notebook.<\/p>\n

A former Oxnard police officer told American Justice Notebook that smoke can be tattooed\u00a0to the barrel of the tattoo when the shooting is fatal.\u00a0He provided the names of nine officers who allegedly have \u201cearned\u201d these tattoos and have put them on their bodies – two are retired\u00a0and two of the officers are commanders with the Oxnard Police Department.<\/p>\n

Two of the officers named were involved in fatal shootings, in 1994 and 2001. \u00a0He gave the name of the tattoo shop in Port Hueneme where he believed these tattoos were put on officers.<\/p>\n

The former Oxnard officer asked that his name not be used for fear of retaliation.<\/p>\n

This source said today that he stands by this allegations.<\/p>\n

Defense Attorney Skeptical About Oxnard Report<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Ron<\/a>
Attorney Ron Bamieh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Attorney Ron Bamieh\u00a0said he is “skeptical” of these administrative findings. He said he saw two photographs of these shooting tattoos that were on two different Oxnard police officers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bamieh, a former prosecutor, said there are two questions that should have been asked by the investigator: \u00a0“Do any of these officers have similar tattoos?” \u00a0And, “What do these officers have in common?”<\/p>\n

He said these tattoos could lead to “huge problems” at the Oxnard Police Department, which has been under criticism for homicides by Oxnard police officers including one that killed 26-year-old Robert Ramirez Jr.<\/p>\n

Bamieh is one of the attorneys representing the Ramirez family in their wrongful death lawsuit against Oxnard. \u00a0Ramirez died while under police custody in June 2012.<\/p>\n

Critics and many residents have demanded changes in the police department, including calls to form a police oversight committee along with demanding more accountability of officers involved in the killings of civilians.<\/p>\n

March’s fatal shooting of Meagan Hockaday<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is the latest fatal shooting by Oxnard officers.<\/p>\n

Other police slayings are\u00a0Alfonso Limon Jr<\/strong> and Jose Zepeda<\/strong> in Oct. 13, \u00a02012. \u00a0Before Limon was killed, Ramirez Jr. died June 2012 under police custody, followed by the slaying of Michael Mahoney<\/strong> in August 2012.<\/p>\n

The shooting of Limon resulted in the city of Oxnard having to pay $6.7 million to settle the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Limon\u2019s family which is the largest wrongful death settlement for the city of Oxnard.<\/p>\n

Limon was shot between 16 to 21 times by four officers as he lay on the ground, according to the Limon family lawyer Adam Shea<\/strong>. \u00a0Limon and his brother were walking home when they were fired upon by Oxnard officers looking for a wanted parolee Jose Zepeda<\/strong> \u00a0who was also killed.
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