Helstrm
Member
Police step up against the legal system.
http://mfile.akamai.com/12948/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0728/9591734.300k.asx
http://mfile.akamai.com/12948/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0728/9591734.300k.asx
SAN FRANCISCO -- In a jammed-packed tense courtroom, two of the three men charged with the murder of a 39-year-old San Francisco police officer pleaded not guilty Friday.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Carol Yaggy set bail for Steven Petrilli, 19, and Nicholas Smith, 21, at $10 million each after their not guilty pleas. The arraignment for Carl Lather, 21, was put off until Monday because he did not have an attorney present.
The court appearance came 24 hours after the head of San Francisco's police officers union Gary Delagnes could hardly contain his anger as he spoke to reporters. Petrilli, 19, has been charged with murder, manslaughter, evading police and robbery in connection with the death of Officer Nick-Tomasito Birco early Wednesday.
Delagnes said Petrilli should not have been even on the streets.
At the time of the crash according to court records, Petrilli was on probation for car theft, and out on bail on charges of burglary and having sex with an underage girl.
He was also charged but never convicted in two other police car chase incidents. Past charges also included drug and gun possession and auto theft. Police sources also say in the past he was connected with the Norteno gang.
"I'm going to find out who the judge was in every single case when Mr. Petrilli was in front of the courts as a suspect," Delagnes said. "I will find out why this piece of garbage was not incarcerated."
"If he was where he was supposed to be officer Birco would be alive," Delagnes continued. "The majority of the blame lies with the judges. Bail was issued on numerous occasions for this guy. Motions to revoke where issued by the DA's office and they would not remand this guy into custody."
Petrilli, Lather, 20; and Smith, 22 were also charged with manslaughter, evading police and robbery, according to the San Francisco District Attorney's office. Jessica Chamberlain, 20, who also was a passenger in the van, was arrested but not yet charged.
Police are still trying to determine why Birco, 39, joined in Wednesday's pursuit of the Dodge van without telling dispatchers.
At least two other cruisers were chasing the van on streets in the city's Portola district when it hit Birco's car, which spun around, hit a curb and landed on its side. The van slammed into a home and hit other parked cars.
The chase started after the suspects allegedly robbed and assaulted a man at a bus stop, according to police.
Birco's cruiser arrived at an intersection where the fleeing van ran a stop sign and crashed into it, but dispatch records showed Birco did not radio in to say he was taking part in the chase, according to investigators.
Birco had been on the force for five years and fellow officers at the Bayview station where Birco worked continue to mourn.
"So many were impacted so deeply we had them go home because we don't want them out on patrol when they are not thinking clearly," Capt. Al Pardini. "They could drive into the middle of a violent situation and get themselves injured. So many have taken that option."
I thought that the San Francisco handgun ban got appealed.
I hope you guys are more careful about going around half-cocked with your firearms than you are with your opinions.
There is a ban on all weapons here