Moore, a 41-year-old transgender Berkeley resident, died of an accidental drug overdose while in police custody in February, but the details of her death did not come to light until the release of the report on May 3 — nearly 3 months after her death.

A death in police custody is inherently an extremely sensitive situation — one which the department needed to communicate with the public about quickly and extensively.

Instead, not only was an autopsy report not released in a timely manner, but the police failed to provide a meaningful reason for the delay to the public.

Furthermore, before the death occurred in police custody, the autopsy should have been done by an outside agency other than the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau to ensure its validity and rid the police department of unnecessary suspicion.

Employing an outside organization to complete an internal investigation is not unheard of. Following the events of Occupy Cal in November 2011, an independent review of police actions were ordered to make certain that no bias was involved.

Although department spokesperson Jennifer Coats apologized for the lengthy delay and noted that the department wanted to ensure a “proper and thorough investigation for Moore,” an apology is not enough.

If Berkeley Police Department expects to be valued and trusted by the people it aims to protect and serve, it needs to be prompt and accountable regarding its own conduct.

The department should learn from this incident and create a better procedure for the future — one in which it moves forward with transparency as a fundamental value.

The post A deplorable delay appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau released its report in the investigation of the death of 41-year-old Kayla Moore Friday afternoon. The coroner’s report lists the cause of death as an “acute combined drug intoxication.”

Toxic amounts of methamphetamine and codeine were found in Moore’s blood, according to the report. It also noted that an enlarged heart and morbid obesity were contributing factors to her death.

In addition to the coroner’s office report, Berkeley Police Department released the findings of its own investigation into Moore’s death Friday afternoon. The report also concluded that the death was accidental.

In recent weeks, the department has faced criticism from community members as well as Moore’s family, who claimed that BPD had not been forthcoming with its investigation.

A press hold had been put on the coroner’s report since the beginning of the investigation, and groups like Berkeley Copwatch demanded that the hold be lifted and the report released. Demonstrations were held at a City Council meeting, and protesters marched to BPD headquarters calling for more transparency from the department.

“We understand there was a need to get information quicker, and there was a desire on our part that we provide all the information we could to the community,” said BPD spokesperson Jennifer Coats. “But at the same time, we wanted to make sure we did a proper and thorough investigation for Moore but also for Moore’s family, the community and the officers involved.”

The report goes into detail about what occurred on the night of Feb. 12 and includes witness statements and interviews with the responding officers. The report also includes a written statement by John Hayes, who lived with Moore at the Gaia Building apartment complex and was the one who called the police.

According to Hayes, Moore used drugs on a regular basis, including crack and methamphetamines. On the night of the incident, Hayes said Moore was drunk and high on methamphetamines, causing her to act belligerent.

“(Kayla) asked me for money to get more speed and alcohol, and I told him to go ask someone else and leave me alone,” Hayes said in the statement. “(Kayla) got really angry and wouldn’t leave me alone, we began and arguing and … (she) told me to just get out.”

Hayes left the apartment and called the police afterward, fearing Moore would attack him and saying that she had a history of aggression. He cited an incident in which Moore stabbed someone in San Francisco.

According to Coats, police were originally called in to take Moore, a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, to a mental health evaluation at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Officers discovered Moore had an arrest warrant out for an earlier incident in San Francisco and proceeded to arrest her instead. Moore got into an altercation with the officers and was eventually restrained to a gurney.

“(She) became increasingly agitated and uncooperative to the officer’s verbal commands and began to scream and violently resist,” according to a statement from BPD. “After struggling with officers, they were able to gain control of the subject and place (her) in restraints.”

Officers soon discovered Moore had stopped breathing, and they performed CPR. Moore was rushed to the medical center, where she was pronounced dead.

Staff writer Sophie Ho contributed to this report. 

“Andy Nguyen is the lead crime reporter. Contact him at anguyen@dailycal.org
and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Truc.
“

The post Police find Kayla Moore’s death due to drug overdose appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Organized by Kayla’s family, the celebration will be held at the Gaia Building apartment complex at 5 p.m. on what would have been her 42nd birthday.

Moore, a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, died in police custody on the night of Feb. 12 after officers were called to her apartment to respond to a call about a disturbance.

Following the event, Berkeley Copwatch has organized a march to the Berkeley Police Station to call on the department to release information about their investigation into Moore’s death.

“Our first objective is to honor Kayla Moore and the grief that her family has endured as a result of her murder,” said Copwatch member Andrea Prichett. “Then we’re going to the police station, asking them to release the hold that they have placed on the coroner’s report … we’re asking BPD to correct that situation and let the public and the family have access to the report.”

There is currently a “press hold” placed on the release of the autopsy report by the BPD as the investigation is still ongoing. The coroner’s office is also still currently conducting their own investigation at this time, said Deputy Damon Wilson from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau.

Maria Moore, Kayla’s sister, says the department mishandled the incident and that the officers lacked the necessary training to handle suspects with mental illnesses.

“(The incident) was handled horribly,” Maria said. “One of the neighbors said that (Kayla) was quiet and didn’t know why the police was called. The situation only escalated when the police came.”

According to Maria, the department has not been forthright with information about the investigation to the family, saying they had to reach out to BPD in order for someone to respond.

“We had to call them several times just to get a phone call back,” Maria said. “We may have to get a lawyer involved because they’re not producing any information.”

Maria also criticized the rate at which the investigation is being handled, saying that it has been two months without any word from the department. In an email, Officer Jennifer Coats, spokesperson for BPD, said that the investigation is going at its current rate because officers want it to be as thorough as possible.

The investigation involves detailed interviews with witnesses as well as a collection and analysis of all evidence, according to Coats.

“We understand the community’s concern over this incident and their desire to have as much information as possible,” Coats stated in the email. “This can take some time and we are committed to conducting a thorough investigation into this matter.”

Andy Nguyen is the lead crime reporter. Contact him at anguyen@dailycal.org
and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Truc.

The post Celebration to be held in honor of Kayla Moore appeared first on The Daily Californian.

At approximately 2 a.m., Berkeley Fire Department and Berkeley Police Department responded to a medical call at a home in the 1200 block of Dwight Way. Soon afterward, shots were fired from inside the residence, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, spokesperson for BPD.

“The officers were responding when BPD reported shots fired inside,” Coats stated in the email. “One of the firefighters was hit, and received a non-life threatening injury, that did not required hospitalization.”

BPD officers were able to make contact with the shooter, an 88-year-old man, who was then taken into custody and sent to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. His name is currently being withheld.

“BPD works very closely with BFD and we are very grateful that the firefighter was not hurt more seriously,” Coats said in the email.

Andy Nguyen is the lead crime reporter. Contact him at anguyen@dailycal.org
and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Truc.

The post Elderly man in custody after allegedly shooting at firefighter appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The protest aims to be an “uncompromisingly militant march against the racist and transphobic Berkeley Police who murdered Kayla Moore,” according to a Facebook post published last Saturday.

“In the case of Kayla Moore, whether by neglect or intent the result is the same,” Anonymous Queers in Action wrote in the post. “Kayla Moore is dead. The Berkeley Police killed Kayla Moore.”

The group stated that it “know(s) police regularly murder people of color, gender-variant people, and people with ‘mental illness.’”

According to a press release from Berkeley Police Department, the department received a disturbance call on the evening of Feb. 12. Responding officers were directed to the residence of 41-year-old Xavier Christopher Moore, a transgender person with a history of mental health issues and who identified as Kayla Moore.

Moore became “increasingly agitated” and began to “violently resist” during contact, according to the release. While struggling to restrain Moore to a gurney, officers discovered she had stopped breathing. She was later pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

In an interview with the Oakland Tribune, Elysse Paige-Miller, Moore’s stepmother, said that Moore was known to the police. In prior situations, BPD would bring its mental health crisis team, which could calm Moore down, she said.

It is unclear whether there was such a team at the scene or if the extent of Moore’s distress was beyond what was described in press releases.

“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation into this matter,” said Officer Jennifer Coats, spokesperson for BPD, in an email. “We understand the desire to have as much information about this incident as possible, but a thorough investigation does take time.”

In addition to Anonymous Queers in Action, other community groups have called for more transparency regarding the investigation.

“I think it’s great for folks to raise the question and to put pressure on BPD to provide information to the public when it comes to civilians’ deaths,” said Andrea Prichett, a founding member of Berkeley Copwatch, a volunteer organization dedicated to monitoring police actions. “I do believe the protest will raise some consciousness, and that’s a good thing.”

Prichett emphasized the need for an impartial investigation not conducted by BPD.

George Lippman, a member of the Coalition for a Safe Berkeley, another group that works to increase civilian oversight of the police, echoed Prichett, saying an “internal investigation by the police is not sufficient.”

“I will support any positive initiative that condemns unwanted killing of civilians by police, particularly on a basis of profiling or gender-based,” Lippman said. “Nothing I see about (the protest) contradicts that.”

The protest will commence at 6:30 p.m. at People’s Park. Moore’s family declined to comment for this article.

Contact Sophie Ho at sho@dailycal.org.

The post Protest planned in response to Kayla Moore’s death while in police custody appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The state of California is expected to see a $500 million cut due to sequestration in coming months, which will influence the scope of health, community services, law enforcement and education programs provided throughout the state and in Berkeley.

While the city has yet to receive precise details on the nature, timing and placement of the sequester’s cuts, city officials grimly anticipate the consequences for various social services.

“Our community in Berkeley, along with communities in California and across the nation, will feel the impact of sequestration,” said Councilmember Jesse Arreguin. “It’s really unfortunate that Congress did not try to find a solution. It is compromising our economy, resulting in loss of jobs and cuts to education.”

Arreguin noted that those reliant on the city’s social services, such as senior citizens, the disabled and low-income to working-class families, will be hit especially hard due to these cuts.

“I think it’s going to spread a lot of pain,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington. “The different nonprofit organizations that get these grants are the safety net that provide extremely important programs to poor people. There will be pain spread around the city.”

The Housing and Community Services Department of Berkeley projected that an 8.2 percent decrease in federal funding would result in a $666,000 reduction in the next fiscal year. This will impact services including city staffing, funding for affordable housing development and rental subsidies for homeless clients. Health services, such as the senior citizen nutrition program and vaccinations for children, will also be impacted.

Statewide cuts to primary and secondary education and law enforcement grants will also impact the city’s public schools and safety services. The Berkeley Unified School District estimates an approximately $300,000 reduction for the 2013-14 fiscal year, according to Deputy Superintendent Javetta Cleveland.

Berkeley Police Department has recognized that it will be impacted and is currently evaluating data to understand the extent of the effects, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, spokesperson for BPD.

But due to the lack of specifics regarding how deeply city services will be impacted, the city currently remains unable to take any immediate action in response, according to Worthington and Arreguin.

However, Worthington expressed hope that Congress will come up with a solution before these cuts come into effect. At this point, the city is still looking at what is possible, such as lobbying in Washington, Worthington said.

“The sequester really will have a detrimental impact on Berkeley,” Arreguin said. “The longer this goes on, the worse the situation will become.”

Contact Sophie Ho at sho@dailycal.org.

The post Looming sequester cuts pose grim challenges for city officials appeared first on The Daily Californian.

On Saturday night, Berkeley police responded to a robbery in progress after the department received a distress call around 9:58 p.m., according to Officer Jennifer Coats, public information officer for Berkeley Police Department. The incident took place on an Allston Way apartment block, she said.

The two male victims in the apartment unit were able to safely barricade themselves in a bedroom as the suspects allegedly tried to force their way in. While the suspects allegedly demanded the victims’ property, the victims were able to safely reach out for help by calling 911.

Shortly afterward, the suspects attempted to flee from the apartment unit but were detained by Berkeley police. The suspects have since been charged with residential robbery.

Of the five suspects, three Berkeley residents have been identified in the incident as Jeremy Carter, 28, Amos Eaglebear, 22, and Beatrice Lopez, 28. Additionally, two Oakland residents were identified as Joshua Neal, 23, and Bernard Brown, 21.

Coats said that the five suspects were not able to take any property.

Contact Eoghan Hughes at ehughes@dailycal.org.

The post Five suspects charged with alleged robbery of Allston apartment appeared first on The Daily Californian.

A man who died after being detained by Berkeley police officers on Feb. 12 has been identified by authorities.

A technician from the Alameda County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that the man was 41-year-old Xavier Christopher Moore.

On the date of his death, officers were called to the Gaia Building apartment complex on the 2000 block of Allston Way after receiving calls about a person with possible mental health issues, according to a statement from BPD.

Residents of the complex reported that they heard a commotion on the fifth floor of the building before officers arrived.

When officers came to the scene, they spoke with the reporting party, who directed them to Moore’s residence.

Moore became agitated when officers attempted to talk to him, and a struggle ensued.

“(He) became increasingly agitated and uncooperative to the officer’s verbal commands and began to scream and violently resist,” according to the statement. “After struggling with officers, they were able to gain control of the subject and place him in restraints.”

Moore continued to struggle with officers after being placed in restraints. Authorities then had to call Berkeley Fire Department in for a gurney to transport Moore due to his large stature, according to the statement.

After being loaded onto the gurney, officers noticed that Moore was not breathing and began to perform CPR. He was then transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

As the incident is still under investigation, Moore’s cause of death is being withheld, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, spokesperson for Berkeley Police Department.

Andy Nguyen is the lead crime reporter. Contact him at anguyen@dailycal.org.

The post Man who died in police custody identified appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Last Friday at around 4:40 p.m., Berkeley Police Department officers responded to a report of a stabbing in the 2100 block of Haste Street near Shattuck Avenue.

Upon arriving at the scene, Berkeley police officers found an adult male suffering from a stab wound, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, spokesperson for Berkeley Police Department.

The victim had been walking home with a friend when the suspect allegedly confronted him. The incident appears to be a random attack, and there is no currently known association between the victim and the suspect, according to Coats.

The suspect is described as a 33-year-old male from nearby Oakland, identified as Ayo Hogue, Coats said. She said that Hogue was found near Durant Avenue and Ellsworth Street during the police investigation. Hogue was then arrested on suspicion of assaulting the victim.

The victim is described as a 21-year-old male and a Berkeley resident, Coats said. She added that Berkeley police do not know if there is any affiliation between the victim and UC Berkeley. The victim’s name is also currently not available for release to the public.

The victim had been transported to a local hospital for medical care but had sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, Coats said. It is yet unknown if the victim is still in the hospital, she added.

The investigation is currently ongoing.

Jaehak Yu is a news editor. Contact him at jyu@dailycal.org.

The post Oakland man arrested after alleged stabbing Friday appeared first on The Daily Californian.

According to Berkeleyside, the suspect was identified as Christopher Lichty, an Oakland resident. Lichty allegedly attempted to target the Berkeley Bowl on Oregon Street three times last Monday for beer.

Lichty first arrived at the store at around 7:17 p.m., where he allegedly attempted to steal beer. Officer Jennifer Coats, spokesperson for Berkeley Police Department, told Berkeleyside that loss-prevention officers were trying to stop Lichty when he dropped the beer and fled.

He returned to the store soon after and allegedly took beer and left without paying. Loss-prevention officers attempted to stop Lichty, but he was again able to avoid capture.

Lichty finally arrived for a third time, allegedly taking beer and walking out of the store without paying. This time, the loss-prevention officers were able to hold Lichty until police arrived. The police arrived at the scene around 8 p.m., according to Berkeleyside.

Lichty was arrested on suspicion of robbery, theft, attempted theft, receiving stolen property and resisting arrest, Berkeleyside reported.

Jaehak Yu is a news editor. Contact him at jyu@dailycal.org.

The post Man allegedly tries to steal from Berkeley Bowl three times in same day appeared first on The Daily Californian.