Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver

California's premier full-service law firm with an emphasis on the representation of peace officers in disciplinary, criminal, labor, workers' compensation, personal injury and other civil matters.

  • About Us
  • Practice Areas
    • Labor Representation
    • Civil Litigation
    • Personal Injury
      • Example of Case Results
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Maritime Law
    • Estate Planning
    • DOE Security Clearance Hearings
    • Peace Officers
    • Firefighters
    • EMS Agency Investigations
    • Criminal Defense
    • CalPERS Appeals
  • Our Team
  • Classes
  • Media
    • Bulletins
    • RLS in the News
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Resources
    • Newsletters
  • Clients
  • Career Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

Your Turn: Criticism of Concord police involved in chase is unwarranted

November 12, 2011 by David Shirley

From: Contra Costa Times

Steven Betz, 11/12/11

The Times recently ran an editorial claiming that Concord police officers made the wrong decision in pursuing a suspect for “a minor cellphone violation.” The public deserves to know the facts.

Police officers are entrusted — and required — to make quick judgments on matters that could mean life or death in less time than it takes the rest of us to decide what coffee to drink in the morning.

That was the very situation that Concord police officers were faced with recently during the fatal pursuit that tragically ended with an innocent Arizona man being killed.

If the Times had delved into the facts, it would have acknowledged that full blame for this tragic accident belongs with one person: The suspect who evaded police.

The facts are as follows: On the day of the pursuit, a homicide happened in Concord. The officer who initiated the pursuit was in the vicinity of the homicide scene when he observed a vehicle driving through an intersection with the driver speaking on a cellphone without a hands-free device.

The officer, as part of his duty, determined he would pull over the driver for the violation. However, when he tried to do so, the driver drove off to avoid capture.

The officer was an experienced veteran of the department. Several factors played into his decision to pursue the suspect at that point. First, he knew that homicide suspects often return to the crime scene in order to gather intelligence on the investigation. Second, the driver had made eye contact with the officer, and thus the driver knew why he was being pulled over.

Since the driver was trying to evade arrest, that would suggest to a police officer that something more sinister was occurring.

In this instance, the officer was reasonably concerned that the suspect may have been involved in the homicide, that perhaps the suspect evaded the officer because he was “wanted” or he had contraband in his vehicle.

All of the above represent serious threats to public safety — much more serious than a minor cellphone violation.

In the seconds it takes to make a decision, the officer analyzed the various possibilities that could have posed a serious risk to public safety in Concord and made the decision to do the job that the public pays him to do.

As it turns out, the officer’s instincts were correct.

Upon arrest, it was determined that the suspect was unlawfully in possession of a firearm and was driving a stolen vehicle.

The community should be rightfully upset that an innocent human being lost his life; however, placing the blame upon the officer and somehow insinuating that the officer wasn’t doing his job ignores the facts surrounding this case.

Instead of criticizing police officers for doing their jobs, we might try to imagine what it would be like to go to work every day knowing that today may be the day you will risk your life to protect the citizens you serve.

Steven Betz is an attorney for Rains Lucia Stern PC and is a legal expert in defending police officers involved in critical incidents.

Filed Under: RLS In The News Tagged With: steven-betz

Consultation Form

Offices across California to serve you.
Contact us now to schedule a consultation.
Contact form not loading? Click here!
Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC publishes this website as a service to our clients and other friends for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for specific legal advice or opinions, and the transmission of information through this website is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship between sender and receiver. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.

© 2023 Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC. All Rights Reserved. | Disclaimer

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPTREJECT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
  • Contact Us

  • News Alerts

Official logo for Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver
Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver Logo
  • About Us
  • Practice Areas
    ▼
    • Labor Representation
    • Civil Litigation
    • Personal Injury
      ▼
      • Example of Case Results
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Maritime Law
    • Estate Planning
    • DOE Security Clearance Hearings
    • Peace Officers
    • Firefighters
    • EMS Agency Investigations
    • Criminal Defense
    • CalPERS Appeals
  • Our Team
  • Classes
  • Media
    ▼
    • Bulletins
    • RLS in the News
  • Resources
    ▼
    • Links
    • Resources
    • Newsletters
  • Clients
  • Career Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
Hotline phone numbers. Northern California: 925-609-1699. Southern California: 310-393-1486.