Activists Demand Authorities Release Video Of Fatal Millbrae Taser Incident
REDWOOD CITY (KPIX 5) -- Protesters gathered outside the San Mateo County DA's office Wednesday to express their dissatisfaction with how the investigation into a deadly Taser confrontation last October between a Peninsula man and sheriff's deputies is being handled.
Activists were demanding answers about the fatal October 3rd incident. Only one cell phone video showing the man who died, 36-year-old Chinedu Okobi, has been released to the public.
Okobi had a run-in with five San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in Millbrae. The deputies claimed he was acting erratically, running in and out of traffic before attacking a female officer.
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Protesters on Wednesday were demanding the release of all of the video San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe has collected from dashboard and surveillance cameras nearby.
"There's no reason that it can't be made public," said one protester.
The DA said the additional video will not be released until after the use of force investigation into the incident is finished. Wagstaffe has hired an outside expert to write a report on the incident.
"Once that's done, I'll sit down with my team and make the decision as to what we're going to do here. And then we'll be ready to release everything to the public for review," said Wagstaffe.
The outside investigator has a law-enforcement background, which these protesters argue will skew his view of events.
"There is no expert out there who does not have that background," said Wagstaffe.
In the meantime, the fact that the officers involved in the incident are back on duty is another point of contention.
"You can't have someone on active duty while there is an ongoing live investigation," said protester Kate Amoo-Gottfried.
However, the officers involved have been assigned to other duties for now and are not on patrol.
At least one protester told KPIX 5 she felt the incident was racially motivated.
Some of the questions surrounding the case might soon have clearer answers.
"If we were to come out with it right now, it would be faster than any county does it in the state," said Wagstaffe. "The people who are complaining about the time frame haven't done their homework."
