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BERKELEY'S NEWS • MARCH 21, 2023

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Commission inquires about coroner's report in death of transgender woman

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MARCH 15, 2013

In its first regularly scheduled meeting of the month, the Berkeley Police Review Commission continued its discussion on the Feb. 12 death of Kayla Moore.

During the meeting’s public comment section, community members urged the commission to find out details about the night, when a 41-year-old transgender person who was initially identified by police as Xavier Christopher Moore, died. The community members also inquired about the status of the coroner’s report.

When asked by Commission Chair Kiran Shenoy about whether the coroner’s report would be released, Berkeley Police Department Captain Cynthia Harris responded that the department was still waiting on it and that there were not any new developments regarding the investigation.

A man who identified himself simply as Nate interrupted the meeting several times to ask if any officers were placed on leave as a result of Moore’s death. He also claimed that Shenoy did not care about the incident.

“She was ugly and she was a drug addict, so she doesn’t matter … I really don’t think you care that someone is dead,” he said.

The Berkeley Police Review Commission is made up of nine members chosen by the City Council and mayor. It reviews the practices and procedures of BPD and investigates any complaints made by community members against the department.

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 Moore’s residence.

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

After being restrained to a gurney, officers discovered that Moore had stopped breathing and was later pronounced dead after being rushed to a local hospital.

Earlier in the week, a protest was held for Moore, with nearly 70 protesters who marched from People’s Park to BPD headquarters in Downtown Berkeley.

Andy Nguyen is the lead crime reporter. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Truc.
LAST UPDATED

MARCH 15, 2013


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