MAN SENTENCED FOR PARTICIPATING IN ARSON DURING LA MESA RIOT 0
Total Views: 54 By Miriam Raftery Photo by Jake Rose: Randall Lamb building in flames January 29, 2022 (La Mesa) – Daniel Louis Sandoval, 44, of Campo has been sentenced for his role in the burning down of the historic Randall Lamb building in La Mesa shortly after midnight on May 31, 2020 during civil unrest. According to the prosecution, Sandoval pulled pages from a book and tossed them onto a fire ignited by others, who used Molotov cocktails to set the blaze. They remain at large. Sandoval pleaded guilty last year to arson and vandalism at Spa Piel. He had already spent nearly a year in jail and received probation as well as a six-year suspended sentence, meaning if he violates terms of probation, he will be imprisoned for that time period. According to Deputy District Attorney Joe McLaughlin, mitigating factors included past trauma and substance abuse issues; Sandoval is undergoing drug rehabilitation. Three buildings burned to the ground during the riot, which followed an earlier racial justice protest as part of national demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd, a black suspect, by a white police officer in Minneapolis later found guilty of murder. Chase Bank and Union bank in downtown La Mesa were also destroyed by fires during the riot. Ricky Bernard Cooper pleaded guilty in the Chase Bank arson and received a two-year probation, though a case against another suspect remains pending. Following Cooper’s probation sentence, La Mesa City Councilwoman Laura Lothian called the sentence “reckless leniency.” She added, “Hundreds of La Mesans expressed to me their dismay and disquiet at this sentence that can’t even be called a slap on the wrist. I hope this lapse in responsible judgment from the DA’s office does not make La Mesa vulnerable to future attacks.” No arrests have yet been made for the arson at Union Bank. One protester, Zachary Alexander Karas, was convicted last summer of bringing Molotov cocktails to the protest; he was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison – ironically a longer sentence than those charged with actual arson received. Printer-friendly version
0 viewsLA MESA RECOVERS FROM RIOT ONE YEAR AGO 0
Total Views: 47 By Miriam Raftery Photos by ECM photojournalists Henri Migala, Jake Rose, Miriam Raftery, Paul Kruze and Rebecca Jefferis Williamson June 5, 2021 (La Mesa) – A racial justice protest on May 30, 2020 erupted into a tense standoff at the La Mesa Police station followed by a night of looting, vandalism, and the burning down of three buildings in La Mesa’s historic downtown district. The events shocked and terrifed the community. What began as a peaceful protest focused on the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, but also on a controversial stop by a La Mesa Police officer of Amaurie Johnson, a young Black man. two days before the protest and riot. A bystander’s video of the Johnson incident went viral and was widely viewed as racial profiling, sparking anger. The ensuing chaos resulted in multiple injuries to protesters and widespread property damage. One year later, however, the city has made strides toward accountability, healing racial rifts, police reforms, helping businesses that were harmed, and moving forward with rebuilding plans. Mayor Mark Arapostathis called the experience “traumatic” during a private event at La Mesa First United Methodist Church to commemorate the events, adding that the city must learn from the tragedy to remember what can happen when people feel excluded. Assemblymember Akilah Weber M.D. (photo, left), was a La Mesa Councilmember during the turbulent events. The city’s first African-American elected official recalled May 30, 2020 as a “promising day” when people turned out to stand up against the unjust killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis as well as to protest against a La Mesa Police officer’s controversial stop of Amaurie Johnson in a videotaped incident widely viewed as racial profiling. Dr. Weber recalled the event turning into a night of pain and destruction, but concluded, “We turned that pain into a new purpose. We made sure we told our story of who La Mesa is and who the residents are and who the businesses are…we will not be defined by one incident…” Her mother, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, called love, inclusion, justice and freedom a “rare flower” that requires attention. By contrast, hatred, discrimination and neglect are a “weed” that grows best in neglect, she noted. Some leveled criticism at the event organizers, La Mesa Conversations and Envision La Mesa, for excluding some voices. Kristine Alessio, a former La Mesa Council member, chided the La Mesa First United Methodist Church for not inviting its own members, adding, “A true day of remembrance would have been public, involved those who suffered the losses and were terrified.” The East County Enquirer questioned why no invitations were sent to the East County Chamber of Commerce and local leaders led by El Cajon Councilman Phil Ortiz, whose successful raised over $260,000 to help businesses pay for repairs. Remembrances and lessons learned Subsequent protests held in the city remained peaceful, including one staged by motorcyclists at which a photo went viral of then-Chief Walt Vasquez hugging a burly black biker. One can only speculate what might have happened if protesters had been met by police or city officials when they first knocked on the police station door the afternoon of May 30, 2020. With no response, the crowd became increasingly hostile and by evening, the police station was under siege. Rocks and bottles were hurled at officers; LMPD and Sheriff’s deputies fired tear gas, pepper spray and beanbag rounds at protesters after the crowd ignored orders to disperse when an unlawful assembly was declared. Burning Molotov cocktails were thrown at the police station, which was covered in graffiti, and multiple protesters were injured, including a woman struck in the forehead by a beanbag round. The violence soon escalated beyond the police station. Multiple vehicles were set on fire. A fire was ignited inside city hall, but swiftly doused. Vons at the La Mesa Springs shopping center was set afire, prompting a response from officers in riot gear. Dozens of businesses along La Mesa Blvd. and elsewhere were broken into and looted. In the middle of the night, Union and Chase Banks were set aflame, followed by the Randall Lamb building. Mutual aid did not arrive to fight the fires, as it was deemed too dangerous for firefighters, with protesters still pelting rocks and bottles until the Sheriff took command after midnight and arrests were made in the wee hours of the morning. With the burned buildings still smoldering the next morning, however, over 600 people from across East County turned out to help clean up. They came armed with mops, brooms, rollers and paint buckets, as well as restaurants donating food to feed the clean up crews. These actions helped restore La Mesans’ faith in humanity and the inherent goodness of residents. In an exclusive interview with ECM a week after the riot, La Mesa Police Chief Walt Vasquez said, “The outreach is already starting. I’ve had people reaching out to me. The police and Sheriff are already talking about this,” he promised. “As we progress through this and start that healing, those kinds of outreach and changes will happen,” he promised, “without a doubt.” Soon after, Chief Vasquez abruptly announced his retirement. A nationwide search for a new Chief continues. Reforms and resiliency The city and partner law enforcement agencies have made significant changes and strides toward healing the community. La Mesa has established a citizens police oversight board comprised of a broad spectrum of community members to investigate complaints of excessive use of force in the future. After the May 30 riot, police made efforts to coordinate with future protest organizers, and the city commissioned an independent report to find out what went wrong and what reforms could be implemented. Mayor Arapostathis, in an interview with ECM in the riot’s aftermath, said he was “devastated” and sorry for what happened. He pledged reforms, adding, “nothing is off the table.” Many reforms have occurred. The City Council commissioned an independent report on the response to
0 viewsMAN CONVICTED OF POSSESSING EXPLOSIVE DEVICES DURING LA MESA RIOT 0
Total Views: 36 By Miriam Raftery May 14, 2021 (La Mesa) – A federal jury in San Diego has convicted Zachary Alexander Karas, 28, of possessing incendiary devices including Molotov cocktail explosives during the riot in La Mesa following a May 30 racial justice protest. His sentencing is scheduled for August 13; the San Diego resident could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A timeline released by La Mesa Police Dept. indicated that Molotov cocktails were thrown at the La Mesa Police Station during a protest there earlier in the evening. Several vehicles were burned including a Heartland Fire battalion chief’s vehicle and pickup truck and a Vons truck. Spot fires were ignited in several structures including City Hall. Three buildings burned to the ground: Chase Bank, Union Bank, and the Randall Lamb historic building. According to the complaint filed by U.S Assistant Attorney Andrew Haden, Karas and his girlfriend were sitting on the pavement at the corner of Allison Ave. and Spring St. in front of the trolley tracks around 2 a.m. on May 31, with several buildings in flames nearby. Officers ordered the crowd to disperse for an unlawful assembly and arrested Karas after he failed to leave. After his arrest, officers discovered that Karas possessed Molotov cocktails –two glass bottles with wicks that contained gasoline. Molotov cocktails are also known as bottle bombs or poor man’s grenades. Karas also had fireworks in his possession. A special agent with the ATF inspected the Molotov cocktails and found them to be functioning incendiary devices. Karas’ girlfriend posted a GoFundMe page for his legal defense, claiming he was there as a “peaceful protester.” GoFundMe later took the site down. According to his Facebook page, Karas graduated from Point Loma High School in 2010 and previously lived in Framingham, Massachusetts. On his Facebook page, Karas posted after his arrest, “I literally f**ed my whole life up in less than 24 hours.” He claimed that despite being caught with flammable devices he was “in no way a part of the burning of any structures and was not involved in any looting.” According to prosecutors, in an interview with law enforcement, Karas claimed he made the Molotov cocktails and brought them to the area near the police station “because he intended to set fires,” but also claimed that he “changed his mind and was not responsible for any of the fires that were set that night.” “The Constitution strongly protects the First Amendment right of all to speak out and peacefully protest,” said Robert Brewer, the U.S Attorney at the time of Karas’ arrest. “My office is committed to protecting that First Amendment right. Violence, however, by a relatively small number of opportunists who sought to wreak havoc, destroy property, and threaten the safety of peaceful protestors will not be tolerated.” This Karas case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, by U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr., the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of certain cases including those involving violent crimes, firearms and gang activities. Printer-friendly version
0 viewsLA MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT FINDS DISCIPLINE NOT WARRANTED FOR DETECTIVE INVOLVED IN LESS-LETHAL FORCE DURING MAY 30, 2020 PROTEST 0
Total Views: 26 By Miriam Raftery March 5, 2021 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police Department’s (LMPD) review has concluded that Detective Eric Knudson should not be disciplined for firing a less-lethal weapon (a beanbag from a shotgun) during a protest outside the police station on May 30, 2020. The beanbag struck protester Leslie Furcron in the forehead, causing serious injury. According to LMPD, “The Department based its decision on the totality of the circumstances, an independent review by a qualified expert in the areas of use of force and less lethal munitions (R.K. Miller, National Training Concepts), and the absence of any significant violation of Department policies.” The decision comes after the San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, on January 5, issued a written analysis and conclusion determining that Detective Knudson’s actions did not warrant any state criminal liability. The D.A. investigation concluded that Furcron had thrown a beverage can at a time when other protesters nearby had hurled rocks, bottles, and a burning Molotov cocktail (bottle bomb) toward the police station. The investigation found the firing of a beanbag round defensible under the circumstances. LMPD policy prohibits aiming non-lethal weapons above the torso. However, the substantial distance and Furcron stepping forward moments before she was struck, as seen on body camera footage, may have affected the accuracy of the shot. The city and Detective Knudson still face potential liability, however. A civil lawsuit was filed on Furcron’s behalf on December 8, 2020 in Superior Court against the City of La Mesa and Knudson. Furcron suffered skull fractures and loss of vision in one eye. Her suit contends that she was too far away to pose harm to officers by tossing the can of Red Bull, an energy drink. She was one of several protesters injured by police firing non-lethal weapons as the protest turned violent on a night that ended in a riot. Three buildings, including one of significant architectural heritage, were burned down, and dozens of other businesses looted. Police Chief Walt Vasquez resigned shortly after the incident. The City has since established a citizens’ police oversight review board and commissioned an independent review on the City’s response to the riot. Printer-friendly version
0 viewsINDEPENDENT REPORT FOUND LA MESA PD LACKED PROPER PREPARATION FOR MAY 2020 RIOTS 0
Total Views: 27 By Alexa Oslowski Photo by Jake Rose: suspect exits arson fire at Randall Lamb Building during May 30-31 riot in La Mesa February 23, 2021 (La Mesa) – The long-anticipated independent report on the La Mesa Police and city’s responses to the May 30-31, 2020 riots was released and reviewed at the January 26 City Council meeting. The creation of the report included briefings from the City Council, City officials, the La Mesa Police Department (LMPD) Heartland Fire and Rescue Department, the Citizen Public Safety Oversight Task Force as well as community outreach, as ECM previously reported. The community has been calling for reform and change for several years following multiple poor encounters police have had with La Mesa residents, including when a school officer body slammed a black female student at Helix Charter High in 2018, reported KPBS. The 2020 riot followed a racial justice protest over both national and local policing issues including the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and a La Mesa Police officer’s controversial stop of Amaurie Johnson on May 28, two days before the riot, an action widely viewed as racial profiling. The officer involved in the Johnson stop has since been fired and criminally charged for filing a false report. A protest at the LMPD headquarters escalated into a riot, resulting in loss of three buildings to arson and the looting of dozens of La Mesa businesses. Councilman Jack Shu suggested the report doesn’t go far enough. “Two and a half years ago, we said, based on their (LMPD) response from the Helix incident, `We think you need to have a civilian oversight board, a real one that’s very effective. In fact, we want the state of the art in terms of oversight by civilians” Shu and others met with the police chief repeatedly over many months, he said, adding that an initial plan was “deficient” though a citizens police oversight board was finally formed. “So to me, all that needs to be part of the after-action report,”Shu added. “The action didn’t start on the 30th. The action started, way before that.” Report Recommendations and Moving Forward The after-action report ultimately made 13 recommendations to the City of La Mesa and the La Mesa Police Department. Each of them targets a specific way to improve communications and emergency responses, including tackling outdated policies and streamlining radio contact. Some of the recommendations include: ● Routinely review and update a formalized emergency communications plan for the City of La Mesa that includes all city departments. Assign trained personnel to ensure when emergency information will be communicated across city departments and to the community. ● Regularly review applicable revisions of the LMPD‘s use of force policies to reflect best practices including, but not limited to, considering increasing its emphasis and guidance on de-escalation and force options, and banning chokeholds or similar holds except under deadly force circumstances. (LMPD recently banned use of chokeholds.) ● Consider developing new policies and training regarding community policing, community engagement, cultural competency and bias-based policing. Consider developing a written comprehensive community policing and community engagement strategy that identifies goals, objectives and measurable outcomes for all units of the Department. ● Consider developing and issuing a crowd-control policy that emphasizes First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful protest, outlines preparation and planning efforts, describes use of force options, emphasizes de-escalation, provides guidance on the use of the Incident Command System and other guidance and procedures related to controlling crowds. La Mesa Police Department Response Acting Chief of Police Matt Nicholass sent a memo on January 21 to the City Manager Greg Humora addressing the recommendations made in the after-action report. In the memo, Nicholass comments on what the police department learned from the incident and how these recommended changes are being implemented. “Since the events on May 30th, the police department has increased its use of social media platforms to aid in information sharing with the community,” Nicholass wrote. “The LMPD’s goal is to share more frequent updates before, during, and after scheduled protest events and/or emergency incidents to provide the community with the most up-to-date information available. The Department has also made a conscious effort to work with other City staff to improve internal communications.” “I think we’re far from where we want to be. And I think we’removing in the right direction,” Shu said. “But there are, you know, a lot of changes in law enforcement that we need throughout the country. And if we can do it in the city of La Mesa quickly, I hope we can show leadership to the rest of East County and on how we can make those changes.” Printer-friendly version
0 viewsNO CHARGES FILED BY D.A. AGAINST OFFICER WHO STRUCK PROTESTER IN HEAD WITH BEANBAG DURING LA MESA RIOT 0
Total Views: 41 East County News Service January 8, 2021 (La Mesa) — San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan’s Office announced yesterday that a La Mesa police detective, who fired a beanbag round that injured Leslie Furcron during a protest that turned into a violent riot in La Mesa, will not face state criminal liability for his actions. Read the DA’s detailed review here. Furcron was struck in the forehead and left blind in one eye after throwing a can toward officers during a confrontation in which others were hurling rocks. She has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of La Mesa over her injury. On the afternoon of Saturday, May 30, a large number of protesters gathered at the La Mesa Police Department. The D.A.’s press release states, “The initial protest was peaceful. Later, protesters began throwing water bottles, glass bottles and rocks the size of baseballs toward officers and the police station.” The investigation found that an armored response vehicle was brought into the police station parking lot to make repeated unlawful assembly announcements. Some protesters climbed onto the vehicle, vandalizing it with rocks and paint. Police made multiple announcements for the crowd to disperse and that the protest had transformed into an unlawful assembly, without avail. Chemical agents were deployed in an attempt to push back protesters, but rocks and bottles continued to be thrown at officers. Windows to the police dispatch center were shattered by thrown rocks and civilian dispatchers requested police assistance. The officers who responded, including La Mesa Police Detective Eric Knudson, were positioned on the patio outside of the dispatch center in order to safeguard the civilian dispatchers and the critical operations. Knudsen and the other officers used a concrete wall as protection from rocks that continued to be thrown at them and the police station. Flash bang devices and gas canisters were deployed in an ongoing attempt to disperse the crowd. Knudson fired one beanbag round at a protestor who was attempting to throw a gas cannister back at police, which missed the protestor. Knudson saw another protestor, later identified as Furcron, 59, throw an object toward Sheriff’s deputies, who had formed a skirmish line in the parking lot. After Furcron threw the object, Knudson— who was about 96 feet from Furcron— fired a beanbag round at her. Furcron was struck in the head by the beanbag round, fell to the ground and a large crowd gathered around her. Minutes later, people in the crowd moved Furcron to a vehicle on the street and she was transported to the hospital by civilians. Knudson has said that he aimed for Furcron’s torso, not her head. Video showed Furcron moving forward as she was struck. According to the D.A.’s office, “Detective Knudson mistakenly believed Ms. Furcron had thrown a rock. Ms. Furcron threw a can and not a rock, but his belief was not unreasonable given the totality of the circumstances the officers were dealing with, placed in the context of the violent riot taking place at his location, fires set at City Hall, and other information that informed his actions. The fact that Ms. Furcron suffered serious injuries is a tragedy, however, the law and the evidence do not support a finding that Detective Knudsen committed a crime in this case.” The D.A.’s press release notes further,”What began as peaceful protest turned into a riot, resulting in danger to the civilians in the crowd, civilian dispatchers, the police station, officers and deputies. Some rioters set fires, escalating the overall sense of danger and imminent threat. The DA’s review concluded that amid the violent riot that had broken out and the attacks on Sheriff’s deputies and officers, Knudson was acting in defense of others and himself when he fired the beanbag round. Under the totality of the circumstances and analysis of the law, Knudson therefore bears no state criminal liability for his actions.” Furcron’s attorney, Dante Pride, blasted the D.A.’s report. He told the San Diego Union Tribune there is “no accountability.” His client, he said, suffered “life-altering damage the D.A. passes off as ‘Oh well, it was a mistake.’ “It makes absolutely no sense to me,” Pride added. The FBI is conducting a separate, federal investigation into this incident. The La Mesa Police Department previously released body camera footage. The announcement that Detective Knudson won’t face charges comes in the same week that the D.A. announced criminal charges have been filed against ex-La Mesa Police Officer Matt Dages in an earlier high-profile case. Dages is charged with falsifying a report against Amaurie Johnson, a black man whose controversial stop at a trolley station went viral in a social media video and has been cited as a factor that sparked the riot two nights later. Officer Dages was fired by the city of La Mesa and charges against Johnson were dropped. Printer-friendly version
0 viewsLA MESA POLICE DEPT. SEEKS HELP TO IDENTIFY LOOTING SUSPECTS AT LA MESA SPRINGS DURING MAY 30 RIOT: REWARD OFFERED 0
Total Views: 18 By Miriam Raftery October 15, 2020 (La Mesa) – Tips from the public helped identify five juveniles now charged with crimes related to the looting of Pierre’s Jewelers during the May 30 civil unrest. Now the La Mesa Police Department (LMPD) has released several surveillance images from La Mesa Springs Shopping Center at 8011 University. Police also released additional photos from Pierre’s in hopes that the public can again assist in identifying suspects involved in these crimes. LMPD thanks the public for their help to identify the juveniles suspected of the crime’s at Pierre’s. If anyone has information regarding the identity of any of the individuals in these photos, they are asked to contact the La Mesa Police Department at (619) 667-7532 or lamesatips@cityoflamesa.us. They may also call Crime Stoppers’ anonymous toll-free tip line (888) 580-TIPS (or visit www.sdcrimestoppers.com). They can remain anonymous, and be eligible for a Crime Stoppers reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case. Printer-friendly version
0 viewsFIRST ROUND OF RELIEF FUNDS DISTRIBUTED TO 27 LA MESA BUSINESSES DAMAGED DURING CIVIL UNREST 0
Total Views: 39 By Miriam Raftery Photo: Don Buxton, owner of Play It Again Sports, accepts La Mesa Disaster Recovery Fund relief check. His store suffered looting, fire and smoke damage. July 1, 2020 (La Mesa) – Relief checks of $5,000 each from the La Mesa Disaster Recovery Fund were distributed to 27 business owners on Tuesday, in the first of two rounds of funding. Representatives from the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, East County Economic Development Council and several major donors were on hand to present checks to owners of businesses damaged during civil unrest May 30-31. Over 2,200 donors have contributed more than $250,000. That includes over $202,000 raised through a GoFundMe account that is still accepting donations. Another $50,000 was donated directly by large organizations including California Coast Credit Union, EDCO, SDG&E, Penske and Sycuan. At least 50 businesses suffered physical damage or looting. Any business that sustained damage can still apply for help by completing this registration form before July 24. All remaining funds wil be given out the week of July 27, after which the fund will be closed. East County Chamber Foundation Board Chairman Patrick Howard says the group remained focused from the start on a single priority. “We worked thoughtfully to make the process as easy and as fast as possible. We were overwhelmed by the support for these La Mesa business owners. We made a promise to be fast, fair, and equitable, and we have delivered thanks to an exceptional East County partnership.” Some donations were mailed, while others were hand-delivered, including donations to Postal Annex 29, Albert’s Mexican Food, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, and Play It Again Sports. Photo, right: Rick Wilson, East County Chamber, and Mary England, La Mesa Chamber, presented a check to Chaitu Patel at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt. One of the hardest hit businesses is Play It Again Sports in the La Mesa Springs shopping center. The sports equipment reseller suffered smoke and fire damage as well as losses from looting. On June 16, Lake Murray Fireworks announced that following cancellation of the annual fireworks display due to COVID-19, major sponsor Hanken Cono Assad & Co. asked to have their donation forwarded instead to help a La Mesa business in need. The organization chose Play It Again Sports. Then on June 27, Amber Welch and the La Mesa Little League held a separate donation drive for Play It Again Sports, which is also seeking donations of used sporting goods equipment to sell. Play It Again Sam is still closed, but hopes to reopen soon. “We are so grateful for your support,” the La Mesa retailer posted on Facebook, “and we can’t wait to be back to serving the Our community.” Printer-friendly version
0 viewsMAN CHARGED WITH HAVING MOLOTOV COCKTAIL EXPLOSIVES DURING RIOT IN LA MESA 0
Total Views: 40 By Miriam Raftery Photo, left: Zachary Karas, arrested for possession of incendiary devices Photo, right by Paul Kruze: Vons truck burning approximately one block from where Karas was arrested June 9, 2020 (La Mesa) – The U.S. Attorneys Office has charged Zachary Alexander Karas, 28, of San Diego for possessing incendiary devices including Molotov cocktail explosive devices and fireworks In La Mesa during riots that began the night of May 30th. Throughout that night and early in the building, multiple buildings and vehicles were set afire. According to the complaint filed by U.S Assistant Attorney Andrew Haden, Karas and his girlfriend, Kali Braj Jonkuet, were sitting on the pavent at the corner of Allison Ave. and Spring St. in front of the trolley tracks. Officers ordered the crowd to disperse for an unlawful assembly and arrested Karas after he failed to leave. After his arrest, officers discovered that Karas possessed Molotov cocktails –two glass bottles with wicks that contained gasoline. Molotov cocktails are also known as bottle bombs or poor man’s grenades. Karas also had fireworks in his possession. A special agent with the ATF inspected the Molotov cocktails and found them to be functioning incendiary devices. A timeline released today by La Mesa Police Dept. indicates Molotov cocktails were thrown at the La Mesa Police Station during a protest there earlier in the evening. Several vehicles were burned including a Heartland Fire battalion chief’s vehicle and pickup truck and a Vons truck. Spot fires were ignited in several structures including City Hall. Three buildings burned to the ground: Chase Bank, Union Bank, and the Randall Lamb historic building. Jonkuet, Karas’ girlfriend, has posted a GoFundMe page for his legal defense, claiming he was there as a “peaceful protester.” Her post mentions he was found with fireworks but omits that he also was found in possession of Molotov cocktail incendiary devices. On his Facebook page, Karas posted after his arrest, “I literally f**ed y whole life up in less than 24 hours.” He claims that desite being caught with flammable devices he was “in no way a part of the burning of any structures and was not involved in any looting.” According to his Facebook page, he graduated from Point Loma High School in 2010 and previously lived in Framingham, Massachusetts. If convicted, Karas could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. “The Constitution strongly protects the First Amendment right of all to speak out and peacefully protest,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “My office is committed to protecting that First Amendment right. Violence, however, by a relatively small number of opportunists who sought to wreak havoc, destroy property, and threaten the safety of peaceful protestors will not be tolerated.” “ATF partners with its local, state and federal partners to work together to arrest dangerous individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of Los Angeles Field Division Monique Villegas. “These partnerships are true force multipliers that enable law enforcement to identify, investigate and seek prosecution against individuals who act out violently within our communities.” “The San Diego community has the right to be safe from violence and criminal activity while engaging in lawful protests,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Omer Meisel. “The possession of an incendiary device threatened the safety of the community. The FBI will continue to work closely with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners and prosecutors to protect our citizen’s right to engage in lawful protest from those individuals engaged in violence and criminal activity.” This Karas case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, by U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr., the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of certain cases including those involving violent crimes, firearms and gang activities. Miriam Raftery, ECM Editor and host of ECM’s radio show on KNSJ, has won more than 350 journalism awards for national and regional coverage. Her experience covering major protests, disasters and civil unrest includes the Alfred Olango police shooting in El Cajon, anti-war marches in Washington D.C. during the Iraq War, protests over lack of federal resources after Hurricane Katrina, demonstrations by Iraqi-Americans in El Cajon calling on the U.S. to protect Iraqi Chaldean Christians from ISIS terrorists, and two of California’s worst wildfires — the 2003 Cedar Fire and 2007 firestorms in San Diego County. East County Magazine gratefully thanks the Facebook Journalism Project for support through its COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Program to help make this reporting possible. #FacebookJournalismProject. You can donate to support our local journalism efforts during the pandemic at https://www.EastCountyMedia.org/donate. Printer-friendly version
0 viewsWITNESS TO CHAOS 0
Total Views: 80 Story and photos by Jake Rose, photographer June 5, 2020 (La Mesa) — Afternoon protests against police violence in La Mesa on Saturday afternoon started off entirely peaceful. After the march on May 30, the crowd moved to the La Mesa Police Department parking lot, their final destination. The crowd advanced up the steps to the front door without incident and remained there chanting and cheering for about an hour, until someone in the crowd threw a small plastic water bottle towards the police guarding the building. The police immediately responded with tear gas and concussion grenades and the crowd dispersed across the parking lot. After a few minutes, the crowd slowly reconvened in front of the police station and began chanting, until again, a water bottle was thrown and the chaos repeated itself. This cycle continued a while until some folks from the crowd picked up the rocks that were used as landscaping in the parking lot and began throwing them at the windows of the police station. No one I saw threw rocks at police officers, but many rocks were thrown at the building with intent to cause damage. (Editor’s note: ECM news partner Times of San Diego editor Ken Stone has video showing protesters throwing rocks at an LMPD Bearcat armored vehicle with officers inside, an incident that Jake Rose did not witness.) More tear gas, paint balls, and concussion grenades were fired at the crowd, and most of the more peaceful protesters decided enough was enough and started leaving the scene around 7:30 p.m. Photo, left: Pastor Travis Ferguson pauses to talk with a young man with a skateboard across the street from where an unknown vandal shattered the door of the Amethyst Moon shop with a skateboard. Photo, right: Regal Bar’s owners guarded their business from inside while a man with a baseball bat stood guard outside, two of many who turned out late at night to protect businesses on La Mesa Blvd. as police became overwhelmed by rioters, looters and arsonists wreaking havoc across the city. By midnight, the situation downtown devolved into lawless chaos. It was a common sight to see young people breaking windows and vandalizing, and directly across the street you would see people of all ages and races discussing the efficacy of what was happening, though not at all participating. Despite the destruction, many people remained surprisingly cordial. Yet the mood was ominous. It was clear there was no immediate police presence and that a call to 911 in downtown La Mesa at that moment was not going to get a response. There was no law enforcement in sight, except for a line of officers who remained in front of the police station, though the station at that point was devoid of anyone other than law enforcement. Breaking glass could be heard all around, hedges were burning as people watched. It felt like a movie set, unreal. Two banks were smoldering and it seemed it could not get any worse as bushes burned at Allison & Palm Ave. Photo, right: Chase Bank in flames. Photos, left: Arsonists and bystanders at Randall Lamb, a historial building destroyed Suddenly more glass shattering nearby as people broke into the Randall Lamb building. Within minutes there was a small fire inside as people from the street rushed in. No one seemed interested in stealing from this building, instead they grabbed things within the building to feed the fire that was growing in the lobby. Chairs, artwork, anything that could be moved was used to fuel the flames. There were about a dozen people actively feeding the fire as about 75 spectators outside looked on in disbelief. As the fire grew, people fled the building to watch across the street. It seemed the fire was going to grow and die in the front lobby, but soon it exploded as flames and smoke bellowed out of every window in dramatic fashion. As the fire grew, police vehicles finally arrived, lights and sirens blaring, and were met with more thrown rocks from the crowd along Allison Ave. This video shows arsonists inside the Randall Lamb building, igniting the fire that destroyed this historic structure: Photo, right: Police line outside burning buildings. When the firefighters arrived, the same crowd that threw rocks at the police cars did not throw anything at the firefighters, a clear sign of who they were angry with, and who they weren’t angry with. As it became clear the building would be totally lost, there was a sense among the crowd this had gone too far. Even many people there who indicated that they felt justified in vandalism (such as graffiti or broken glass) — because peaceful gestures in the past had not ended instances of police brutality—voiced sadness at seeing the flames. As the knee on the neck was a clear metaphor for a larger issue, so did the fire feel like a sea change of emotions, a signal that this conversation would not be over this night. Jake Rose is a San Diego based photographer and reporter. His work has been shown in numerous galleries in San Diego, and he is the winner of the 2017 San Diego CItybeat Photography award. Raised in San Diego and a graduate of SDSU’s film program, Jake worked in the film industry in Los Angeles for a number of years before returning to San Diego for work in journalism, advertising, and corporate media. Street photography, man-made landscapes, and the human condition are the core focus of Jake’s work. East County Magazine gratefully acknowledges the Facebook Journalism Project for its COVID-19 Relief Fund grant to support our local news reporting, including impacts on vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more: #FacebookJournalismProject and https://www.facebook.com/fbjournalismproject/ Printer-friendly version
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