Civil rights attorney John Burris of Oakland and Black Lives Matter Sacramento are filing a claim against the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office deputy who was captured on video pinning and punching a teenage boy during a struggle on a Rancho Cordova street late last month. The announcement of what is considered a precursor to a lawsuit came late Monday.
Burris told reporters in Sacramento that the deputy, Brian Fowell, used excessive force and tossed around the 14-year old, identified on social media as Elijah Tufono, like he was a rag doll. He also suggested the deputy might have been under the influence steroids or some other mind-altering substance during what the attorney described as a "terrifying experience."
Not long after the April 27 incident, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Tess Deterding released a statement indicating the an investigation was underway but also noting that the boy physically resisted the deputy when approached. Fowell was proactively patrolling an area near Mills Station Road and Mather Field Road because of complaints from neighbors about adults selling alcohol, tobacco, and drugs to minors, according to Deterding. She said he spotted Tufono attempting to buy tobacco from someone who ran off when the deputy approached.
New Rancho Cordova Police Chief Kate Adams addressed the fallout from the viral video, which has now been seen millions of times, with a video of her on YouTube. She explained that Fowell has been reassigned outside the police department during the investigation process. He also asked for patience during the investigation, which she noted will take time.
But BLM and others supporting the Tufono family plan to keep up the pressure for stronger action. On Tuesday a group of doctors is expected to hand-deliver a letter to Chief Adams calling for the firing and legal prosecution of Fowell.
That letter has been signed by more than 350 doctors, nurses, public health, and mental health professionals, according to BLM. They claim more than 100 of the signers are from the Sacramento area, with additional signatures from health professionals throughout the United States and other countries.
As health professionals, we are appalled by the video of Rancho Cordova Police Officer Brian Fowell assaulting a 14-year-old child on April 27, 2020," they state in the letter. "We are further disappointed by the anemic response thus far by the Rancho Cordova Police Department, reflected in the department's statement dated April 28, 2020 and your subsequent video statement."