CM PRESS # 288

THE OC REGISTER'S TAKE ON THE CALL TO INVESTIGATE CMPD COPS
Link with video of the press conference today.
#                       #                     #
SUPERVISOR MOORLACH AND COUNCILMEMBER BEVER CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION

At today's press conference at a vacant, privately owned lot at the corner of 17th Street and Superior (near Trader Joe's) attended by about fifty people, Councilmember Bever told how at approximately 4:57 pm on Thursday, October 14, he and local activist Christian Eric were putting up Righeimer election signs on the property with the permission of the owner.

According to Bever and Eric, while they were installing the signs, Costa Mesa police cruiser # 711 with two  uniformed officers inside slowly drove by.  Bever said that he gave them a friendly wave and a smile, but that one of the officers gave him a "nasty" look.

Then, according to Bever, the cruiser circled around the block two more times and the officer in the passenger seat held up a large camera and took photos of Bever and Eric.

Both Bever and Eric said they felt the officers were trying to intimidate them. Bever says that he later called Police Chief Shawkey about the incident and was told that the Chief will investigate and  report back to Bever.

The following morning, Friday, October 15, Eric went by the site and discovered that all eight signs that he and Bever had installed were now missing.

Bever and Eric want to know:

Who were the two police officers?
Were they acting on orders from higher ups? If so, who?
Was the camera police property?
Was there a legitimate law enforcement objective in what the cops were doing or did they have a political or other motive?

Because what Bever and Eric were doing was a protected First Amendment right, police intimidation--if that is established--may have violated federal civil rights laws and may also implicate a criminal conspiracy both under U.S. and California law since there were at least two officers involved in the incident.

Supervisor Moorlach emphasized the potential seriousness of this incident and said that his office would investigate if the Costa Mesa investigation leaves questions unanswered or seems inadequate.

#           #              #