Angry citizens demand police review board

200 gather at special council meeting

News Article by Chris Durant
10/31/06
Times-Standard

EUREKA -- Calls for a police review board accelerated Monday as about 200 jammed the City Council chambers and the hall outside during a special meeting where Police Chief Dave Douglas briefed the council about the shooting death of Christopher Burgess.

One week after Burgess, 16, was shot twice by Officer Terry Liles in a gully off the 2200 block of Chester Street, Mayor Peter LaVallee called the special session to “open up dialogue” in the community. However, no dialogue was allowed by LaVallee, even though more than 40 members of the public trooped to the microphone -- some angrily, some with sadness -- to share community trauma over the incident.

On several occasions, the audience applauded statements by speakers, and was admonished by LaVallee for doing so.

The emotional two-hour meeting came amid other developments:

* Over the weekend, two walls of Washington School had anti-police graffiti sprayed on them. The school, across the street from where the shooting occurred, was locked down during the incident. One person, who did not want to give a name, said the paint said, “EPD = teror.” Lee Ann Lanning, the school's principal, said the vandalism happened sometime between Saturday afternoon and early Sunday, and was painted over Sunday morning.

* Eureka City Councilmember Virginia Bass, a candidate for mayor in the Nov. 7 election, announced that she plans on hosting a public forum on “use of force” policies of the Eureka Police Department. A date and time for the forum will be scheduled after Bass talks with law enforcement and community members.

Douglas began his report by asking people to pray for everyone involved. “The prayers, the thoughts and the support hurt none of us,” he said.

The chief said the investigation will take time and some evidence may not come to light for days, weeks and in some cases months. He also pleaded with the public to help find three witnesses, Charles Ray Nelson, Allen Chambers and Janice Chambers, whom investigators are looking for.

He said the Critical Incident Response Team investigating the incident is “pleased with the rapid progress.”

The only new information Douglas provided in the report was that during the confrontation with Liles in the gully, Burgess said, “I don't want to go,” and then moved toward the officer as if he were going to stab him.

”The distance went from 6 feet to 4 feet,” Douglas said.

About halfway through his report, Douglas turned his attention from talking to the council, to talking to the crowd. He also defended his officer.

”It is not necessary for an officer to be shot or stabbed before they defend themselves,” Douglas said.

He also pleaded with the community to refrain from rumors and speculation.

Margorie Burgess, Burgess' mother, was the second to speak. “I'm scared for the children in this county,” she said.

She talked about her decision to call authorities when Burgess was younger and she was having trouble with him.

”This is what happened because I didn't know how to do it right,” Margorie Burgess said. “And I called for help.”

Some speakers defended the police at the same time they criticized them.

”We do have a lot of fine police officers in this town,” one speaker said. “It's a tragedy, in my opinion. What happened to Christopher was cold-blooded murder and reeks of cover-up.”

Some echoed Douglas' calls for not taking part in speculation and rumors. One speaker said the “system” sets police up for failure.

”It takes six months to become a police officer,” the speaker said, “when it takes four to six years to be a lawyer.”

He also said police targets for shooting practice only have the heads and the torso.

But a reoccurring topic among a lot of speakers was the need for a police review board.

”I wish we had a review board,” said Christina Allbright. “I wish that we had a review board last year. I wish we had a review board 10 years ago.”

”I don't believe that the fox should investigate why the hen house got raided,” another speaker said. “That invites corruption.”

Another speaker talked of his efforts in the past to get a police review board. “I'm here six months later, I hope I'm not here six months from now,” the speaker said.

Some demanded Liles be fired and prosecuted. “No more paid vacations for killer cops,” one speaker said. Another added: “I think he should be tried as a murderer.”

One man, who said he's worked with children and teens in trouble, called for police to have more options when dealing with a similar situation.

”I've had a knife pulled on me, I've had baseball bats pulled on me, and those kids aren't dead,” the man said. “From what I understand, there was no crisis until police created it.”