Fifth generation East Bay native, former Oakland City Administrator, Emeryville City Manager

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District

The East Bay Regional Park District’s Board of Directors today approved the appointment of Sabrina Landreth as General Manager. She is the first female and the tenth General Manager appointed in the Park District’s 87-year history.

“Our Board is thrilled to have Sabrina join our organization,” said Dee Rosario, President of Park District Board of Directors. “She has all the right elements of urban public sector leadership experience and especially understands the diversity of the East Bay communities we serve.”

Ms. Landreth has deep roots in the East Bay as a fifth generation native who has held the top executive leadership positions managing the cities of Oakland and Emeryville.  She is a U.C. Berkeley graduate with a master’s degree in Public Policy, in addition to receiving a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“I am honored to be appointed by the Board as the District’s next General Manager,” Landreth said. “I look forward to continuing to build upon the great work the District does to improve the quality of life for our East Bay community, while adhering to its social and environmental responsibilities.”

Most recently Ms. Landreth served as City Administrator in Oakland from 2015- 2020, where she is credited with strong fiscal management and developing a capital improvement program that included community equity goals and has become a model program for local governments around the country.  She also worked for Oakland as Deputy City Administrator, Budget Director, and Legislative Analyst to the City’s Finance Committee.

Previously Ms. Landreth served as City Manager of Emeryville and as staff in the California State Assembly advancing state and local legislative initiatives.

Ms. Landreth succeeds Robert Doyle, who retired as General Manager after a 47-year career with the Park District.  She will begin her new position at the Park District on Monday, March 15 just four days after her 45th birthday.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

 

“At one point, during the handcuffing, for a few seconds an officer did have his knee across Angelo’s shoulder blade…taught at police academies for prone handcuffing,” Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks

District Attorney’s investigation continues

By Allen Payton

Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks held the second of two press conferences in a week, on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, about deaths of residents following interactions with police. The latest was about the call police received to the home of Angelo Quinto on Dec. 23 and his death, three days later. Ending weeks of speculation and finally answering numerous questions on the matter, Brooks said that officers did not kneel on his neck during the incident. That refuted numerous Bay Area and national news stories that were based on the words of Quinto’s family and their attorney. In addition, the chief said Quinto was not in police custody at the time of his death on Dec. 26, refuting claims by some Antioch council members and local protesters.

Following are the chief’s prepared remarks he provided, today: (see video of press conference posted by eastcountytoday.net)

“On December 23, 2020 at approximately 11:10 PM, Antioch dispatch received a call from a woman screaming the address to an unknown disturbance in the 1900 block of Crestwood Drive in Antioch.  I will play the 9-1-1 recording for you now: (download recording here)

• First Recording (9-1-1 Call)

Our dispatcher called back, and this is that recording:

• Second Recording (9-1-1 Call)

Now listen to the recording of the initial radio traffic that went to our officers, Nicholas Shipilov, Arturro Becerra, James Perkinson, and Daniel Hopwood:

• Third Recording (Radio Traffic)

Officers Becerra and Perkinson arrived on scene at approximately 11:12 PM to find Angelo Quinto being actively restrained by his mother on a bedroom floor of the home.  The officers requested Angelo’s mother to get off Angelo so they could detain him in handcuffs.

According to the results of a preliminary investigation, at one point during the handcuffing, an officer did briefly – for a few seconds – have a knee across a portion of Angelo’s shoulder blade. This is a common control technique taught at CA POST approved Police Academies for prone handcuffing.  At no point did any officer use a knee or any other body part to gain leverage or apply pressure to Angelo’s head, neck, or throat, which is outside our policy and training.

One of the officers then repositioned to control Angelo’s legs as his legs were actively thrashing around.  At that time, the other officer on scene spoke to Angelo’s mother to determine his medical history.

Officers determined Angelo was suffering a mental health crisis and summoned an ambulance at approximately 11:16 PM.  Based on the nature of the call, two other APD officers arrived on scene around that time.

Paramedics arrived on scene at approximately 11:23 PM.  As the medics entered the bedroom, officers recognized that Angelo had become unresponsive and was potentially experiencing a medical emergency.  Angelo was immediately unhandcuffed, and medics began evaluating him and rendering medical aid. (See video of the incident by Quinto’s family WARNING: Age restricted)

While CPR was in progress, officers notified an APD supervisor via radio of the situation at approximately 11:29 PM.  Angelo was transported to an area hospital at approximately 11:30 PM.

To ensure transparency, impartiality, and public confidence in the investigatory process, and out of an abundance of caution, the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident (LEIFI) Protocol investigation was initiated, whereby the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office lead an investigation into this incident.

Ultimately, Angelo was admitted into the intensive care unit of the hospital where he remained under their care for approximately three days before we were informed of his unfortunate passing.

I have been in contact with the Coroner’s Office and the following four points have been jointly approved by multiple pathologists related to their findings thus far:

1. Although the decedent had injuries consistent with a struggle with his family and law enforcement, none of the injuries appeared to be fatal.
2. There were no fractures of the skull, torso, or extremities.
3. A full examination of the neck revealed there was no evidence of strangulation or crushed airway.
4. They are currently expanding toxicology testing because they were aware of reported past drug use.

As you may already be aware, in Contra Costa County, anytime there is a death related to law enforcement, there is a Coroner’s Inquest.  This is a public hearing in which the facts and circumstances of the incident are provided by the officers and specific eyewitnesses.  Additionally, this is the venue for the medical examiner to provide insight into the medical cause and manner of death.  That hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Additionally, and separately, this case will also undergo an independent third-party administrative investigation to determine if there was any violation of departmental policies.

On behalf of myself and the men and women of the Antioch Police Department, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the Quinto family for their devastating loss.”

Informing of Mayor and Council About Incident

At last Wednesday’s press conference on the in-custody death that occurred early that morning, Brooks was asked by this reporter if he had contacted Mayor Lamar Thorpe about the incident with Quinto and his subsequent death, at that time. Brooks responded that he was on vacation at that time. When asked if someone from the department had contacted the mayor he responded, “yes.”

Thorpe, who spoke at that press conference refuted that and said he had learned of Quinto’s death on social media the first week of January. Brooks was asked by the Herald to provide documentation of when the mayor was contacted and by whom.

In today’s press conference in response to another question about it, Brooks said “I spoke to the mayor on Dec. 31st, about this. I believe there are additional records on this.”

However, when asked about what Brooks said about informing him, Thorpe responded emphatically, “I inquired to the chief if there was an in-custody death after I read about it on social media. That’s the conversation he’s referring to when he said he spoke to me on Dec. 31st. I said it was the first week of January, for which I apologize for getting that wrong.”

“The police department did not inform the council and did not inform the mayor and that’s why we’re going to have new protocols on when the chief will inform the council of major events,” he added.

Brooks responded, “I believe that is correct. I don’t know how he heard about it prior, but he did call me and ask on that day.”

The DA’s investigation is still not complete.

Family’s Attorney Makes False Claim About Police Cameras

As reported by other news media, the family’s attorney, John L. Burris said during a February 18 press conference, that Antioch Police failed to turn on their body cameras and police car dash cams. That’s in spite of the fact the department has neither, currently. Those were the subject of last Friday night’s special council meeting in which all five council members voted to support both. A final decision will be made to approve the purchase of cameras at a future council meeting.

 

Governor, Senate Pro Tem Atkins and Assembly Speaker Rendon highlight new $6.6 billion package to reopen schools and deepen student supports

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon today highlighted an agreement on a $6.6 billion budget package to accelerate the safe return to in-person instruction across California and empower schools to immediately expand academic, mental health and social-emotional supports, including over the summer.

“Since the height of the winter surge, we have successfully shifted the conversation from whether to reopen schools to when,” said Governor Newsom. “Now, our collective charge is to build on that momentum and local leadership, and – just as critically – do whatever it takes to meet the mental health and academic needs of our students, including over the summer.”

The Governor was joined by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and other legislative leaders at Franklin Elementary School in the Elk Grove Unified School District. The state’s fifth largest public school district was among the first to close for in-person instruction last year. Last week, based on deep partnership between school staff and leaders, the district announced plans to reopen grades K-6 in mid-March and grades 7-12 in early April.

Elk Grove Unified and public schools throughout the state will be allocated $6.6 billion under the proposed budget package. $2 billion would fund safety measures to support in-person instruction, such as personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and COVID-19 testing. $4.6 billion would fund expanded learning opportunities, such as summer school, tutoring and mental health services. Together, the funds empower schools to develop and execute comprehensive strategies to both reopen and expand programs to address the social-emotional, mental health and academic needs of students.

All public schools would be required to offer in-person instruction to grades K-2 for all students and for high-needs students in all grades by the end of the month, losing 1 percent of eligible funds every day thereafter if they do not. Schools in the state’s Red Tier or better would be required to offer in-person instruction to all students in all elementary grades and at least one middle or high school grade, or risk the same penalty. Together, these requirements help ensure schools begin to reopen as soon as possible, in order to build trust and confidence to continue phased reopenings.

As students return to in-person instruction, all public schools would also be empowered to meet the needs of the whole child. The Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants allocate $4.6 billion to local educational agencies based on the equity-based Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $1,000 for each homeless student. These funds would be for supplemental instruction and support for social and emotional well-being. Schools would be able to use the funds for providing more instructional time, such as summer school, and accelerating progress to close learning gaps through tutoring, learning recovery programs, mental health services, access to school meal programs, programs to address pupil trauma and social-emotional learning, supports for credit-deficient students and more.

The package would also codify multiple successful state programs to support safe school reopenings:

• Vaccine Prioritization for K-12 School Staff. The package codifies the Governor’s commitment to set aside 10 percent of vaccines for education workers. This commitment ensures that the state prioritization of school staff, in place since January, is made real in all 58 counties. Since the Governor’s announcement two weeks ago, the state has collaborated with county health departments, the Biden Administration and providers such as Kaiser Permanente to accelerate vaccine access for K-12 school staff starting March 1.
• Data Reporting. The package codifies data reporting requirements, including requirements for schools to report reopening status and COVID-19 safety measures. These statutory requirements will help build on efforts to increase transparency, including interactive geospatial maps displayed on the Safe Schools Hub.
• State Safe Schools Team. The package also allocates $25 million to the State Safe Schools Team, which serves to provide technical assistance, oversight and accountability to the over 10,000 public schools in the state. The capacity will enhance the Team’s reach, and the Team will conduct a safety review of any school with two or more COVID-19 outbreaks.

The budget package is the result of months of work by the Governor’s Office, Senate and Assembly. The Governor, Senate Pro Tem Atkins and Assembly Speaker Rendon also thanked Senators Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Connie Leyva (D-Chino), along with Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) for their tireless work and leadership on this effort.

The state’s efforts to accelerate safe school reopenings to date include delivery of three months of PPE and safety supplies to all schools at no cost, direct support to over 1,000 schools in 41 counties to implement COVID-19 testing and direct technical assistance to over 300 school districts.

For more information, please visit: https://schools.covid19.ca.gov/.

 

Over $20,000 of goods recovered

By Antioch Police Department

Early this morning, just after 4am, an Antioch Police Officer was keeping an eye out on Early this morning, just after 4am, an Antioch Police Officer was keeping an eye out on Romi’s Liquor & Food store at E. 18th Street and Cavallo Road. The Officer knew the store was closed but, saw two suspicious subjects lurking around and soon noticed both going in a broken window. As more officers responded to attempt to catch the would-be thieves in the act, one suspect fled,, but we did catch the second one as he crawled out the window.

As pictured above, there was a significant amount of both cigarettes and alcohol that had already been stolen and was found in our suspect’s nearby vehicle as well as more that was stacked up and waiting to be taken when the burglars were caught in the act! All totaled, the stolen property was in excess of $20,000 and was returned to the owners. As for our burglar, he didn’t get what he came for, but did get a ride from us to the county jail