To Serve and Protect Killer Cops?

August 8th, 2001
San Francisco, CA
Justice For Idriss Stelley

Photo: To Serve and Protect Killer Cops? - Prentice Sanders, Assistant Chief of Police, had trouble maintaining his composure during the Police Commission hearing. Activists working to get justice for Idriss Stelley accused Sanders of continuing a cover-up of the police killing of Mr. Stelley.

The Police Commission hearing was again standing-room-only, packed with people working to get justice for Idriss Stelley.
Only three of the five commissioners showed up.
Rumor has it – one of the five resigned yesterday.

Idriss’ family, friends, and others concerned about police brutality, are making at least three demands of the SF Police Commission (As posted inside the police commission hearing room on August 8th, 2001:

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WE DEMAND:

1.) Mandatory Police Crisis Intervention (PCI) Training for SFPD Officers!
----1 out of 4 calls to the police is about someone in mental distress.
Over the next two years, (at least) 25% of all SFPD Officers must be appropriately trained to HELP, not KILL, individuals with psychiatric illness.

2.) Stop The Cover-up!
----Release all relevant information to Idriss’ family
- including police reports and names of witnesses!

3.) Launch an Independent Criminal Investigation!
----The Police Commission must call for a REAL investigation by a special prosecutor.

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Idriss Stelley, a 23 year old African-American man who suffered from mental
illness for most of his life, was killed by SF cops on June 13th.
Police officers responded to a call from Idriss’ partner Summer Galbreath
requesting a “5150”:
(When a person, as a result of a mental disorder, is a danger to her or himself, a police officer, upon probable cause, may take the person into custody and place her or him in a Mental Health facility for 72-hour treatment and evaluation).
Idriss was killed in a close-to-empty Sony Metreon theatre and “armed” with a tiny - key chain - pocketknife.
Instead of taking the time required to deal with someone suffering an attack of manic depression, instead of backing off and requesting the help of a mental health professional, within several minutes of entering the theatre they had fired over twenty-five shots.

Idriss was killed almost two months ago.
The SFPD continues to delay the release of names - of the officers involved and of witnesses to the killing.