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Alarming increase in Bay Area police abuse by Karen Saari

November 1997: 7 DEAD IN 17 DAYS

Two of the seven deaths occurred in Sonoma County, which continues to lead the Bay Area in the number of deaths at the hands of the police.

I have been keeping track of people killed by police violence, abuse and neglect in the San Francisco Bay Area for over a year. I usually learn of one to three killings each month. However, in the first three weeks of November 1997, there has been an alarming increase in killings by police. In just 17 days there have been 7 deaths at the hands of Bay Area police; 2 of these occurred in Sonoma County.

For some time now Sonoma County has led the Bay Area counties in the number of deaths at the hands of police. From August 1996 until the end of October 1997, 7 people had died at the hands of the police in Sonoma County. In the same time period, 4 died in Oakland and 3 died in San Francisco. In this latest wave of police abuse, 2 more have died in Sonoma County, none in Oakland and one in San Francisco.

1. Nov. 19, 1997: Dale Hughes, age 35 – Killed in Santa Rosa, CA

Mr. Hughes was shot at least 11 times and died instantly. Police allege that Mr. Hughes was armed and shot first.

2. Nov. 16, 1997: Erasmo Antonio Bolanos Cortez, age 22 – Killed in San Rafael, CA

Mr. Cortez died when he lost control of his car which had been involved in a short pursuit with a Marin County Sheriff's deputy. Authorities allege that Mr. Cortez was driving a stolen car.

3. Nov. 14, 1997: John Calvin Dine, age 41 – Killed in Santa Cruz, CA

Mr. Dine was shot and killed when he refused to obey a command to show his hands and pulled out a toy gun. Mr. Dine, who was mentally ill, was described as a well-known, peace-loving "hippie."

4. Nov. 9, 1997: Unknown homeless man, age 35-45 – Killed in San Francisco, CA

According to press reports, officers responded to reports of shots being fired on Cesar Chavez Street. When the suspect failed to respond to orders to drop his weapon, he was shot 2 times and killed. Authorities claim the victim was armed with a 20-gauge, double-barreled sawed-off shotgun.

5. Nov. 7, 1997: Judith Lynne Harris, age 48 – Killed in San Jose, CA area

Mrs. Harris' body was found in the trunk of her car. She had been gagged with silver duct tape and her head was partially covered with a black bag. There were wounds on her hand and back; she had bled to death from a slashed throat. It is suspected she was killed by her husband, San Jose police officer Thomas Harris, who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head on Nov. 13.

After Ms. Harris' body was found the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Officer Harris was a prime suspect. Since Officer Harris' death, the San Jose Police Department says they are investigating but may never find the killer. They have suggested that Officer Harris may have taken his own life out of grief. There appears to be an effort to cover up the facts of the case; we will probably never know what really happened.

6. Nov. 7, 1997: Jeffrey Tharp, age 49 – Killed in Vallejo, CA

Police responded to a call about domestic violence. Mr. Tharp was shot and killed when he did not respond to police orders. Police allege that he was holding a gun.

7. Nov. 3, 1997: Kenneth Allen Stra – Died in Santa Rosa, CA

Kenneth Allen Stra was found dead in his cell after having been at the Sonoma County jail for 27 hours. Mr. Stra had been picked up on outstanding warrants. He was coming down off heroin and may not have received proper medical attention while incarcerated.

A new coalition is forming on the North Coast to deal with police abuse. There will be more information in a later column. If you have information on cases or are interested in working on these issues, you can contact me at kmsaari@wco.com.

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