Latest news with #SacramentoPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sacramento police must apologize for harming a California state senator
The Sacramento Police Department wrongfully detained a California Senator after she was the victim of a traffic accident, claiming she was showing 'objective signs of intoxication.' Yet Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, maintained her innocence. And with the release of a toxicology report on Friday by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, her name and record have officially been cleared. Now, the Sacramento Police Department and its chief, Kathy Lester, owe the legislator a public apology. Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang released a strong statement on Friday in support of Cervantes and also urged the city's police department to publicly apologize. 'As a public institution, we must take responsibility when harm is caused, especially to someone who has dedicated their life to public service,' Vang wrote in a statement. 'A sincere apology is the first step toward accountability and rebuilding trust with our community.' Unfortunately, Cervantes is unlikely to receive an apology. I know this because I also deserved an apology after the Sacramento Police Department handcuffed and attempted to detain me while I was reporting on a protest inside City Council chambers last March, despite my First Amendment and state-given rights to be present inside the room. Not only did an apology never come from the police, but it took more than six months before any representative from the department would even sit down with someone from The Bee to discuss it privately. Even then, police officials only wanted to meet with my editor, not with me. So this incident is deeply unsurprising. The Sacramento Police Department has a history of abusing its power. From the 2018 killing of an unarmed Stephon Clark, to their behavior at the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 for which they are being sued, to Cervantes' detention on May 19 of this year, how are Sacramentans expected to hold any trust in their police? 'If this can happen to a State Senator, imagine how many everyday residents have been harmed similarly, many of whom we may never hear about,' Vang said. 'We must hold our public servants, especially law enforcement officers, to a higher standard. They are entrusted with the safety and well-being of our communities.' Perhaps the worst and most degrading aspect of this is that it's not inconceivable that Cervantes' ethnicity and gender had something to do with the police's suspicions that day, even though she was the victim of a sideswipe and in the hospital being checked for injury when the detention occurred. She was a victim and yet she was treated as a suspect. Still, Chief Lester will be holding out her hand for millions more in her department's budget next year at the next council meeting on June 10, just as the city tries to climb out of its $44 million deficit — and every other department has willingly offered cuts. Every child knows that when you are in the wrong, you apologize. There can be no reasonable excuse or delay from the SPD now.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sacramento homicide suspect arrested in pursuit
( — The Sacramento Police Department said officers arrested a driver who was tied to a homicide on May 14 in Sacramento. SPD said when officers arrived around 8:30 p.m. at the scene of the shooting, they found one man in critical condition who was suffering from one gunshot wound. Rayno Nel becomes first South African to win World's Strongest Man The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said that its deputies made an attempt to help stop the suspected vehicle, but the driver failed to yield and led authorities on a pursuit. SPD stated that the victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Sacramento police said the driver, identified as Xavier Barron, 23, of Sacramento, was taken into custody two days later on May 16. SPD said Barron has been booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on homicide-related charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sacramento police arrest homicide suspect in Cincinnati
( — The Sacramento Police Department obtained a homicide arrest warrant for a 23-year-old, Kenneth Wade, from Citrus Heights on Monday after a woman was found dead in a home back in April. Wade was located and taken into custody in Cincinnati. He is set to be scheduled in Sacramento, where he will be booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, SPD stated. Rayno Nel becomes first South African to win World's Strongest Man According to SPD, officers were called to an apartment on April 14 at around 7 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Street for dead body. SPD said, 'This arrest highlights the critical role of collaboration with our law enforcement partners.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California Dem lawmaker cited for drunken driving
California State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, was detained Monday and cited on suspicion of drunken driving, according to Politico. Cervantes claimed police "accosted" her and falsely accused her of driving under the influence. Additionally, she said hospital lab tests showed she had no alcohol in her system, though Fox News Digital has been unable to verify this. "On Monday afternoon, while seeking care in the emergency room after my sedan was t-boned by a large SUV, I was accosted by Sacramento Police Department officers, falsely accused of driving under the influence, and involuntarily detained for several hours at the hospital. This ordeal was deeply distressing and left me even more shaken," Cervantes said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Democratic Official Drunkenly Slurs, Flaunts Government Position During Dui Arrest: Video On Monday, Cervantes was driving near the state's Capitol in downtown Sacramento when her car collided with another vehicle, a Sacramento police officer told Politico. When officers saw Cervantes at the hospital, they reportedly determined that the state lawmaker was intoxicated, an allegation she fervently denies. Read On The Fox News App "As a Senator, wife, and mother, I hold myself to the highest standard and expect others that serve our communities to do the same. I want to be clear: I did nothing wrong. The lab results I sought in the hospital show conclusively I had no alcohol or drugs in my system. I expect this to be quickly and justly resolved," Cervantes said in a statement. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital in a statement it was waiting for toxicology results before making a decision on filing charges. "Our office is waiting on toxicology results to be completed. Once we have received those reports, all of the facts in the case will be reviewed for a filing decision. Until then, we will reserve any further comments," the statement said. Cervantes also said she was "accosted" by police and "involuntarily detained for several hours at the hospital." She called the incident "deeply distressing." The Sacramento Police Department told Fox News Digital that on Monday at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers arrived at the location of the collision involving Cervantes. The lawmaker was then transported "via private party to an area hospital for minor injuries," according to police. Wisconsin Deputy Shot While Tending To Dui Suspect Who Drove Into A Ditch "Officers also responded to Sen. Cervantes at the hospital as part of the investigation. Responding officers contacted Sen. Cervantes, where they observed objective signs of intoxication and conducted a DUI investigation. From their investigation, officers issued Sen. Cervantes a citation for suspicion of DUI," the Sacramento Police Department told Fox News Digital. The allegation comes almost two years after Cervantes' sister, Clarissa Cervantes, who served as a city councilmember, was arrested for DUI. Weeks before that arrest, according to CBS News, Clarissa had a 2015 DUI conviction dismissed. The more recent incident sparked outrage and led to calls for her resignation. "I regrettably made the worst decision of my life when I was in my early 20's, which was to drive after drinking one evening. At the time, I was coming out of a domestic abusive relationship that had severely impacted my mental and physical health," Cervantes said, according to CBS News. Neither of the Cervantes sisters had resigned as of the time of publication. State Sen. Cervantes' team did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: California Dem lawmaker cited for drunken driving
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California senator from Riverside cited for drunk driving near State Capitol
A Southern California state senator was cited for driving under the influence blocks away from the State Capitol in Sacramento Monday afternoon. Riverside Democratic Senator Sabrina Cervantes, who represents Senate District 31, was taken to a local hospital following a collision with another vehicle, according to the Sacramento Police Department. While at the hospital, Cervantes was determined to be under the influence of alcohol and cited with a misdemeanor before being released. KTLA's Eytan Wallace reported that Cervantes has issued a statement denying the charges and accusing police of 'accosting' her. 'On Monday afternoon, while seeking care in the emergency room after my sedan was t-boned by a large SUV, I was accosted by Sacramento Police Department officers, falsely accused of driving under the influence, and involuntarily detained for several hours at the hospital,' Cervantes' statement reads. The lawmaker went on to describe how the incident has affected her. 'This ordeal was deeply distressing and left me even more shaken. As a Senator, wife, and mother, I hold myself to the highest standard and expect others that serve our communities to do the same. I want to be clear: I did nothing wrong. The lab results I sought in the hospital show conclusively I had no alcohol in my system. I expect this to be quickly and justly resolved,' Cervantes stated. A spokesperson for the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office did not respond to a question from news outlet Politico about whether the senator has been or would be charged with DUI. Senate District 31 encompasses parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the cities of Corona, Eastvale, Fontana, Jurupa Valley, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Perris, Riverside and San Jacinto, as well as several other communities and unincorporated areas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
