| “Oink, oink, oink.” |
In a prelude to city council chaos in Santa Ana over a ‘Fuck the Police’ hat last week, Mayor Miguel Pulido praised policemen amid jeers during a previous meeting. Santa Ana Police officer John G. Rodriguez received a service award as one of the honorees on September 2 for being on the force 25 years–almost as long as the reign of the Pulidiato itself!
“He’s received two Santa Ana police department service medals of valor for actions during encounters with armed suspects,” the Don Papi said, mentioning the cop’s many credentials. Left out, of course, is the fact that lawsuits filed this year allege officer Rodriguez used excessive and lethal force in shooting Travis Mock, an unarmed man, in the back last year in an incident that also left another man, Jason Hallstrom, dead.
The OC Weekly reported that Mock and Hallstrom led police in a car pursuit on March 15, 2013 that ended when the men crashed into a Nissan. They fled on foot from the car and got struck by bullets courtesy of Rodriguez and fellow officer Pete Picone.
“Hallstrom was shot in the back for running away from the police,” claims attorney Jerry L. Steering who’s suing on behalf of Hallstrom’s daughter. “He was killed in cold blood.”
More at the OC Weekly.