• $8.00 monthly dues
• A monthly meeting on the 3^rd Wednesday of the month, after this pandemic
• Dinner with your friends and table groups
• Your choice of a libations or soft drink
• A raffle of donated items
• A good time to be had; members exchanging stories and laughter; nothing wrong with that
• Annual PBA members only BBQ
• Annual Valentine’s Dinner/Dance

I believe in this time of visceral dislike and disrespect for the brave women and men who currently serve, we have to continue the camaraderie, friendships and family unity that developed after many years of service, working long hours, missing important events, getting injured on the job and supporting each other in the field.

Please consider signing up or bringing in a new member when we open up again.

Take care all and be safe,

Ernie Alcantar

PBA President

September Birthdays

Tickets on sale for this year’s drive-thru Christmas in the Park

Copyright (c)2020 The Mercury News, Edition. Please review new arbitration language here. 9/11/2020

Parking ticket scofflaws given amnesty
San Jose waiving late fees for motorists who pay their share of more than 200,000 fines
MILLION IN LOST REVENUE $25

By Maggie Angst
mangst@bayareanewsgroup.com
Are you one of the tens of thousands of motorists with
unpaid San Jose parking tickets piling up? If so, you
could be in for a bit of a break – that is, if you pay them
by the end of the year.
San Jose is launching a parking ticket amnesty
program, waiving late fees for motorists who pay their
share of about 212,000 un- paid parking tickets that
have accumulated over the last five years, costing the
city $25 million in lost revenue.
Under the new program unanimously passed by the
San Jose City Council on Tuesday, motorists with
unpaid parking tickets issued on or before March 19
will only be required to pay the original fee of their
citation – cutting the average amount owed by an
individual from approximately $270 to $130. The
program is ef- fective immediately and expires Dec.
31.
“This is a product of the situation we’re in,” Heather
Hoshii, the city’s parking manager, said in an interview.
“We thought that if we have an opportunity to alleviate
some of the stress that the pandemic has brought on,
we need to act and do something.” The city’s goal for
the program is two-pronged: Offer incentives to help
the city collect outstanding debt and provide financial
relief from community members reeling from the
pandemic.
Motorists with unpaid parking tickets not only face
mount- ing fees but potential hits to their credit and an
inability to register their vehicle with the DMV.
Parking citations are considered delinquent if not paid
or contested within 21 days of issuance
or 14 days after the mailing of a courtesy notice to the
owner of the vehicle, according to state law. Once
delinquent, a $35 late fee is tacked onto the original
amount of the ticket and the longer a ticket goes
unpaid, the more additional fees and fines are added.
The city uses a variety of methods to collect fines from
outstanding parking tickets, including sending courtesy
and past due notices, placing holds on vehicle
registrations through the DMV, engaging collection
agencies and the Franchise Tax Board.
Even so, between 10-15% of the city’s parking
citations go uncollected, and without the amnesty
program, the majority of those will remain unpaid,
according to Hoshii.
“Many of (the citations) are two years old – so they’ve
been on our books for quite a while – and we see this as
an opportunity to reconcile those accounts,” Hoshii
said.
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Tickets
FROM PAGE 1
“The return is not potentially very great,” said John
Ristow, director of t he c it y ‘s dep a r t ment of
transpor tation. “But at least it’s giv ing some people
Parking ticket scofflaws given amnesty
San Jose waiving late fees for motorists who pay their share of more than 200,000 fines
MILLION IN LOST REVENUE $25
Facing significant budget deficits in the years to come,
the payment of the city’s estimated 212,000 unpaid
citations is even more critical now than in previous
years.
If motorists paid the city the original fine amounts for
all of the tickets, the cit y wou ld have a $13 million
boost to its general fund. The remaining $12 million
equates to late and collections fees that the cit y is waiv
ing under the program.
It’s unclear how many motor ists w ill take advantage
of the program, but city officials are only projecting a
5% collection rate, or $650,000, according to a
department of transportation memo.
After paying a software company $200,000 to help run
the program, the city expects to garner about $450,000
in additional revenue for the city.

Police officer arraigned, released
Judge sets $200,000 bail — max for manslaughter — says he could be a ‘danger to the community’
SAN LEANDRO WALMART SHOOTING

By Angela Ruggiero
aruggiero@bayareanewsgroup.com
DUBLIN >> The San Leandro police officer charged
with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a
Black man inside a Walmart store was handcuffed in a
courtroom Tuesday morning, booked at Santa Rita Jail
and then released after posting $200,000 bail.
Soon afterward, the prominent police attorney
representing him issued a statement declaring he would
use a new state law intended to hold officers more
accountable for deadly use of force as the basis of his
defense.
Officer Jason Fletcher, 49, is the first Bay Area law
enforcement officer charged under the law, Assembly
Bill 392. He’s also the first in more than a decade to
face charges in the death of a civilian while on duty;
the last one was BART Officer Johannes Mehserle,
who shot and killed Oscar Grant on New Year’s Day
2009.
Appearing in a dark gray suit and black face mask,
Fletcher was arraigned at the East County Hall of
Justice in Dublin on charges of fatally shooting Steven
Taylor, 33, on April 18 at the Walmart store at 15555 Hesperian Blvd. in San
Leandro.

Attorneys Mike Rains, left, and Julia Fox and San
Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher arrive at the East
County Hall of Justice on Tuesday.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara
Dickinson ordered Fletcher’s bail set at $200,000 – the
maximum for manslaughter – saying he could be a
“danger to the community.” Although Fletcher’s
attorney, Michael Rains, said his client was prepared to
post bail immediately, Dickinson denied the request,
Fletcher had to use lethal force, Rains said.
At the courthouse Tuesday morning, a group of
Taylor’s family members, friends and other supporters
gathered outside asking for justice. They held signs
that read “Convict Officer Fletcher Now” and “Rest in
power Steven Taylor.” When Michael Taylor, Steven
Taylor’s brother, heard that Fletcher was sent to jail
after the court appearance, he said it was good news.
“I’m just hoping that it follows through with
accountability and everything comes through with a
conviction,” he said.
Police officer arraigned, released
Judge sets $200,000 bail — max for manslaughter — says he could be a ‘danger to the community’
SAN LEANDRO WALMART SHOOTING
saying that wasn’t court procedure and remanded
Fletcher to the custody of the sheriff’s office.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic and social
distancing guidelines, only a limited number of people
were allowed inside the courtroom, including two
members of Taylor’s family. The hearing was held
online.
Fletcher is scheduled to next appear in court on Sept.
28 and could enter a plea at a hearing next month.
In a statement Tuesday, Rains said this trial will be one
of the first applications of AB 392, which went into
effect Jan. 1. The law only allows deadly force when
an officer reasonably believes there is an immediate
threat of death or serious injury.
Rains said the defense will show that Fletcher had no
other option but to fire his weapon.
“The case is important because it calls into question the
officer’s obligation to de-escalate a situation and to use
less than lethal force,” Rains said. “Both things were
done by the officer.” According to prosecutors’
charging documents, Fletcher was the first officer to
respond to a report by a Walmart security guard of a
possible shoplifter holding a baseball bat inside the
store.
Fletcher entered the store, approached Taylor and tried
to grab the bat. When Taylor pulled away, Fletcher
drew his Taser with his left hand and pointed it at
Taylor, telling him to drop the bat before firing twice.
As Taylor was struggling to remain standing, the bat
pointed toward the ground, Fletcher shot him in the
chest, killing him, according to the prosecution.
Rains said his client never should have been charged
with voluntary manslaughter because he did exactly
what he should do as a police officer.
“The case is important because it calls into question the
officer’s obligation to de-escalate a situation and to use
less than lethal force,” Rains said. “Both things were
done by the officer.” “First, Officer Fletcher calmly
asked Mr. Taylor to drop the bat. He did this four
times, but he would not drop the weapon,” Rains said.
“The officer approached him slowly and was almost
able to take the bat from Mr. Taylor, but he drew back
and raised the bat. Then Officer Fletcher attempted to
use a Taser, but it did not incapacitate Mr. Taylor. He
used the Taser a second time, again it failed.” At that
point
He described his brother as “a light of life” and a
“beautiful person, always ready to make someone
laugh.” “We are here to sup- port the family and
amplify their voices,” said Selina McManus, who went
to middle and high school with Steven Taylor.
“Families, especially Black and Brown families, have
to grieve and do this work at the same time.” McManus
was skeptical of the $200,000, saying it was low and
that Fletcher likely would post the bail soon, which he
did.
Earlier this month before prosecutors announced
charges would be filed against Fletcher, demonstrations
were held at San Leandro City Hall and the Alameda
County District Attorney’s Office in Oakland calling
for justice.
During a protest Monday night, words were projected
onto the front of the San Leandro police station
headquarters that read “Convict Officer Fletcher” and
“#Justice4StevenTaylor.” Also Monday, the San
Leandro Police Officers’ Association released a
statement offering condolences to Taylor’s family but
add- ing that the charges were politically motivated.
“Although District Attorney Nancy O’Malley has
charged Officer Fletcher with voluntary man
slaughter, we are steadfast in our belief that this charge
is politically motivated and legally deficient,” the
statement said. “While the district attorney has
mischaracterized the shooting as a ‘failure to attempt
de-escalation options,’ we are confident that the
evidence will establish that this incident was an
unfortunate example of de-escalation techniques
simply proving to be ineffective.” The statement also
suggested Fletcher had acted in self defense.
“While we wish that every call for service could end
peacefully, in our mission to safeguard the community,
officers are sometimes left with no option but to make
a split-second decision to use deadly force to defend
themselves and the public,” the statement said.

J. standing by use of rubber bullets
Mayor angrily opposes decision to allow police to use the rounds in certain crowded situations
CITY COUNCIL S.

By Maggie Angst
mangst@bayareanewsgroup.com
Despite adamant opposition from the mayor,
community activists and protesters, San Jose police
officers will be allowed to continue using rubber
bullets in certain crowded situations and potentially
during future demonstrations in the city.
The 10-1 decision by the San Jose City Council this
week came amid a heated debate about the merits of
using the projectiles and in the wake of newly released
body camera footage as well as a report from the San
Jose Police Department about the handling of the
George Floyd protests earlier this summer.
“As we remove some of the tools, especially those lessthanlethal tools, then we limit officers on the options
that they have, and then you do put officers in
situations where you’re asking them to simply strike
someone with a ba- ton or ultimately, in certain
circumstances, use their firearm,” council member
Raul Peralez said. “I don’t think that’s the type of limit
we should put on our officers.” During the
demonstrations that broke out in late May and early
June after Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police
officer, San Jose police officers shot hundreds of rounds of rubber bullets into groups of protesters and at the ground to disperse crowds – a practice then endorsed in the department’s duty manual.

But after more than a week of the protests, the

Demonstrators take issue with characterization of
protests and continue to assert officers were often
agitators of violence
By Robert Salonga
rsalonga@bayareanewsgroup.Ecom
SAN JOSE >> A new report states that officers’
inexperience with large protest crowds led to issues
with the San Jose Police Department’s chaotic response
to demonstrators protesting the police killing of George
Floyd this summer – a response that drew widespread
criticism over the department’s use of rubber bullets,
tear gas and other munitions to disperse unarmed and
nonviolent civilians protesting the disproportionate use
of force against black men and women by police.
The “after action” report produced by SJPD was
provided to the City Council ahead of a Tuesday
meeting in which the department’s tactics and
disclosure of body-camera videos are expected to
receive more scrutiny from local lawmakers. On
Friday, the de- partment released officer-recorded
footage of three high-profile police encounters
stemming from the demonstrations between May 2
9 and June 7, though any revelations contained in those
videos were minimal, since civilian videos
of those incidents have circulated widely for months.
In the SJPD report, the department made some
concessions to complaints about violent acts against
nonviolent protesters. But the report largely repeated
previous statements about the department’s rationale
for using force during the protests, and maintained that
officers were responding to “continuous violent
confrontations with officers, rampant destruction of
property, arson and looting.” Protesters and activists
have firmly refuted that account, asserting that police
officers escalated
POLICE » PAGE 2
Police
FROM PAGE 1
encounters against demonstrators practicing nonviolent
civil disobedience.
“Tensions rose only in the presence of police, and, in
particular, when police decided to take control of
certain public spaces and prevent the movement of
protesters in certain directions,” said Sharat G. Lin, a
longtime South Bay peace activist. “Once police
declare a peaceful assembly that is constitutionally
protected to be ‘illegal,’ it is unequivocally a
provocation.” Lin was arrested June 5 after police
alleged he was shining a laser pointer at a police
helicopter, when he says he was just shining a light on
simply documented they fired ‘multiple’ rounds. The
unprecedented nature of this event does not justify the
lack of accurate documentation and need to track the
use of less lethal responses.” The department banned
bullets from crowd-control uses after the George Floyd
protests. SJPD also backed off the use of tear-gas and
similar agents after health experts decried their
respiratory effects amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Without naming the officer, the report also add re sse s
Of f ic er Ja red Yuen’s profane comments toward
protesters that garnered international attention during
the May and June protests. The department affirmed
Yuen is now on a “non-enforcement assignment”
pending an internal affairs investigation. Yuen
accounted for 1,079 of 1,247 protest-related police
Police admit gaps but stand by response
‘AFTER-ACTION’ REPORT
a wall at City Hall as part of a musical light show. His
arrest was detailed in the report.
In explaining their response, SJPD said the department was surprised by how large and boisterous
the crowds grew in the late afternoon of May 29,
leaving commanders to rapidly call in officers and
improvise a plan to corral demonstrators, who
numbered over a thousand and had temporarily forced
the shutdown of Highway 101.
T he depar tment a cknowledged in the report that it
was not a familiar scenario for the majority of officers
dispatched to form skirmish lines near and around City
Hall, stating that most had “never experienced civil
unrest of this type” and that commanders “lacked the
sufficient training and experience” in crowd control.
But throughout the report, SJPD puts the onus on
agitators within groups of protesters for why innocent
people might have been the targets of force or police
projectiles; just 10 civilian injuries were officially
reported to or by police – a portrayal that frustrated
local activists.
“The SJPD can’t PR spin this away from the truth that
hundreds of people not only saw but experienced,” said
Raj Jayadev, co-founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug. “It
was mainly youth of color out there, that’s one
important feature to distinguish. It was teachers. I saw
reverends out there, and I saw people who wanted
protest a racist system.
“For them to mischaracterize who was there and why
they were there, it’s literally adding insult to injury.”
The report also waded into how rubber and foam bu l
le t s , p epper spr ay rounds, tear-gas canisters and stun
grenades were lobbed into crowds that refused to
disperse. According to police, more than 500 rounds
were used in the first day of protests May 29: “By the
end of the first day, most of the Department’s less lethal
munitions and chemical agents were exhausted,
requiring an improvised emergency purchase,” the
report states.
As to an exact number, the report found “the number of
less lethal rounds was difficult to quantify as many
officers complaints received by the department, according to  the report.
The report notes officer injuries – including an officer
who was knocked unconscious by a man’s punch – and
related attacks, including 181 instances of them being
hit by objects like frozen water bottles or being fired at
with a potato gun in one instance. But while the
document also addresses injuries to protesters, the
language is general and sticks closely to what has
already been reported by media or disclosed in
eyewitness videos.
Those injured in the incidents include community
activist and former police bias trainer Derrick
Sanderlin, who was shot in the groin with a police
rubber bullet while trying to de-escalate a standoff between protesters and police; Tim Harper, a citizen who
helped carry an injured officer to safety then was later
hit in the stomach with a police projectile; and David
Baca, who was hit in the Adam’s apple by an officer’s
baton when he approached a skirmish line with the aim
of taking down an officer’s name and badge number.
The primary solutions offered by SJPD involve
improving training of crowd control tactics and useofforce documentation at all levels of the force. The
report also makes a plea for ready access to a fixedwing plane for overhead surveillance of large crowds,
and states that the department wants the authority to
“fully implement” its unmanned aerial system, which
has been mostly grounded since 2014 amid privacy
concerns from city residents. Contact Robert Salonga