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Lawyer Defends Sacramento Police Against ‘Character Assassination’
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The two Sacramento police officers who shot a mentally ill man felt threatened because he came at them with a knife, according to a lawyer for the officers.
Attorney Judith Odbert wrote a three page memo defending the officers from attacks on their characters and claims that they are racist, reports The Sacramento Bee.
“The character assassination of these two officers who have dedicated their lives to the protection of this community is unwarranted. They are not racist,” Odbert wrote.
The attorney for Joseph Mann, the man shot, responded by saying he had never called the officers involved racist.
“I’ve never made any charges about them being racists. I didn’t call (the officers) names. If I call them names, it’s bad cops and killers,” John Burris said.
Officers John Tennis and Randy Lozoya shot Mann in July when responding to a call about a man waving a knife and having a gun in his waistband. Dash cam footage reveals Tennis and Lozoya discussing running Mann over.
It appears that they tried twice and Mann scrambled out of the way both times. The officers then exited the vehicle, pursued Mann on foot and shot him 14 times.
Mann’s family alleged that Mann suffered from mental illness and drug addiction. They also demanded that the officers face criminal charges. (RELATED: Murder Charges Demanded For 2 Sacramento Police Officers)
Referring to one officer saying “Fuck this guy,” Odbert claimed that the officer said that to refer to “not letting (Mann) enter businesses and harm civilians.”
Odbert did not dispute that the officers tried to run down Mann with their car; she said it was not meant to kill him, but to immobilize him.
“The vehicle was traveling at a slow speed and was an opportunity to take the subject off his feet to prevent the need for any other force to be deployed,” Odbert wrote.
As for those who think that race played a role in how the officers treated Mann, Odbert pointed out that one officer had mixed children.
“Officer Tennis has mixed race children who are black. Officer Lozoya has mixed race children and family. They have chosen to work in the Del Paso Heights community to make a difference and improve the community,” Odbert said.
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