Law enforcement officials are releasing little information about a vehicle crash last month involving an off-duty Shasta County sheriff’s deputy, even though Sheriff Michael Johnson said he is “committed to transparency and accountability” regarding his department and the incident.
Johnson published a news release Monday, expressing frustration about what he said were reports on social media of false and unsubstantiated details of the crash.
“I became aware of some social media posts circulating that share unsubstantiated details surrounding the collision. The post included false allegations that sheriff’s office personnel hindered the investigative efforts of allied agencies at the scene. These statements are egregious and baseless and are a product of a faceless allegation,” the sheriff said.
“I am frustrated with the cowardliness and repeated attacks on law enforcement and on the integrity of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office,” Johnson said.
The news release said the deputy crashed a vehicle in the Palo Cedro area on March 16, and the officer was taken to the hospital following the incident.
But the statement did not name the officer, where the crash occurred, the time, the number of vehicles involved, what led to the crash and whether the deputy was impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Because the deputy is an employee of the department, Johnson said he is restricted by privacy laws from releasing information to the public.
Asked in an email whether the sheriff wanted to provide accurate details about the crash to correct the record, department spokesman Tim Mapes declined and referred questions to the California Highway Patrol office in Redding.
CHP Sgt. Jose Tabarez, who works out of the Redding office, initially referred questions about the incident to the sheriff’s office. When a reporter told him the sheriff’s office referred the Record Searchlight to the CHP, Tabarez said he could only say the crash occurred at 3:16 a.m. on March 16.
He said he could not release further details, including the name of the driver because the incident was under investigation. Later in the interview, he said the incident happened at Deschutes Road and Hillside Drive in Palo Cedro.
The CHP and other law enforcement agencies typically issue news releases that include the names of motorists and passengers involved in vehicle crashes. The location, number of vehicles involved and the events that led to a crash is also information included, even before investigations are complete.
Law enforcement and the CHP also typically say whether the driver was allegedly impaired by alcohol or drugs. News releases also include information when a person is arrested or when an agency is searching for a wanted individual.
On Tuesday, the CHP issued a news release that included the details of a fatal crash on Interstate 5 at Balls Ferry Road in Anderson. The release included the names and ages of those involved in the crash, where it happened, the date and time and the circumstances that led to the crash and whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the incident.
The CHP also listed the severity of injuries of those involved in the crash. As is typical, the name of the person killed in the crash was not included because that person’s family had not yet been notified of the death. The news release also said the I-5 crash in Anderson was still under investigation.
But none of that is being released in connection to the deputy crash on March 16.
David Loy, legal director for the First Amendment Coalition, said law enforcement agencies are generally not required to divulge documents when they are conducting a criminal investigation.
The exemption from disclosing information under the California Public Records Act covers “only those investigations undertaken for the purpose of determining whether a violation of law may occur or has occurred,” according to the coalition.
A snippet of the March 16, 911 call to emergency dispatchers was available on a computer application that records 911 calls. Only 1 minute and 1 second of radio traffic associated with the incident involving the deputy was available.
In the call, a dispatcher said the information was referred to the CHP by the Shasta Area Safety Communications Agency (SHASCOM), which handles calls for ambulance, police, fire and the sheriff’s office in Shasta County.
SHASCOM was automatically notified by iPhone that the vehicle was in a crash, and it was determined a vehicle hit a tree, according to the dispatcher. The driver also was unconscious, according to the dispatcher. The name of the registered owner of the vehicle was confidential, the dispatcher said.
On the ground at the northeast corner of Deschutes Road and Hillside Drive on Tuesday, there was a damaged metal fence lying crumpled on the ground and an oak tree that had been pushed over. A stop sign was on the ground near the oak tree, as well as parts of a vehicle and ruts from tire tracks in the mud alongside the road.
The vehicle parts appeared to be blue in color. Some of the vehicle parts appeared to be either headlight or taillight lenses and one of them had a tag that indicated it was off a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta sheriff’s deputy’s crash in Palo Cedro area is shrouded in mystery
Reporting by Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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