This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
ACLU report slams Anaheim for high rate of officer-involved deaths
File photo: Perla Castillo (right) hugs Daisy, 18, at the scene of Manuel Diaz's shooting in Anaheim, CA in 2012. Both were good friends of Diaz. The ACLU issued a report on Nov. 20, 2017 saying the Anaheim Police Department has failed to reduce the rate of officer-involved deaths since reforms were enacted after 2012.
(
Bear Guerra/KPCC
)
Listen
0:50
ACLU report slams Anaheim for high rate of officer-involved deaths
Force used by on-duty Anaheim police officers kills people at a higher rate than in many other major U.S. cities, according to a new report from the ACLU of Southern California.
Using data collected by the ACLU and from the Mapping Police Violence project, the organization determined that the rate of arrest-related deaths at the hands of Anaheim police officers is higher than the state average and higher than deaths at police agencies in Los Angeles, New York and San Diego.
However, Anaheim's acting Police Chief Julian Harvey pointed out several inaccuracies in the data. For example, the ACLU report included the 2015 death of Paul Anderson in its count. But an Orange County District Attorney’s investigation found that, although Anderson was shot by officers, he died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head.
Harvey defended the department's progress in implementing police reforms, saying its review process of major use-of-force incidents, "is now a model for California."
In 2012, Anaheim police officers shot and killed two unarmed Latino men in back-to-back incidents. The killings set off riots and led the city to step up police oversight.
The ACLU report comes just weeks after a federal jury determined that an Anaheim PD officer used excessive force in the shooting death of 25-year-old Manuel Diaz in 2012. Diaz was shot in the back during a foot chase. He was unarmed.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
