Over the past year or so, we’ve seen a lot of stories of police botching situations when they should be trying to protect and serve. Is this yet another one?
It all started on Monday when the Fontana Police Department in California issued a press release about the abduction of a minor by her father. According to their post, officers were called in after reports of shots fired at a private residence and found a woman named Tracy Martinez suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was transported to the hospital where she died.
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They believed she had been shot by her husband, Anthony Graziano, who had already fled the scene — with their daughter, 15-year-old Savannah Graziano. In an update, the FPD asked the community for help with a call if anyone say the “suspect’s” vehicle. They specifically noted the 45-year-old father should be “considered armed and dangerous.” An Amber Alert was activated for the teen, who was being considered a kidnapping victim.
A member of the public did as the police asked. Someone called 911 Tuesday morning to report seeing Graziano’s 2017 Nissan Frontier truck near Barstow. It was only when police arrived that all hell broke loose.
According to San Bernardino Sheriff Shannon Dicus, who spoke to reporters in a press conference in the wake of the debacle:
“Barstow Deputies were dispatched to the area of Highway 395 and Highway 58 where the vehicle was seen. As the deputies arrive they encountered the suspect’s vehicle, a pursuit ensued and as a result of that pursuit, the suspect immediately starts firing at our deputies, putting several rounds through the windshield of the patrol unit.”
Graziano was reportedly “constantly shooting back at the deputies” during a 45-mile chase up the highway before eventually being disabled on the side of the road.
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Police did not say how the vehicle became disabled, but they did say a fire fight erupted at that point. Presumably that means cops were opening fire at the vehicle — where the kidnapping victim was. But it gets worse… Sheriff Dicus revealed:
“During that firefight, the suspect vehicle comes to rest, at which time a subject exits the passenger side of the vehicle wearing tactical gear.”
Someone in the passenger seat. During an Amber Alert. Who could police possibly have thought this was? Tactical gear and helmet or no, the small passenger — it’s pretty clear who it is, and therefore why she was running towards the police, right? But pay careful attention to the wording of the Sheriff’s statement here. He continues:
“That subject starts to run towards sheriff’s deputies and during the gunfire goes down.”
Notice the slippery language here? First he makes a point that she was not immediately recognizable in the armor. Then he doesn’t even say the girl got shot, only that she “goes down” amid the firefight. Dicus finally reveals the “subject wearing the tactical gear” was “our 15-year-old juvenile, Savannah.” Graziano was also killed in the shootout — his body was recovered from the driver’s seat.
Reading between the lines it’s pretty easy to see what happened. If Graziano had shot his daughter, there’s no reason police wouldn’t just say that. But as soon as the language gets all passive and vague, it seems to us pretty obvious it’s because they don’t want to admit they were so busy shooting — and not thinking — that they killed a kidnapping victim who was trying to escape her captor and running to them for help.
Even more infuriating? Sheriff Dicus said there “may be some indication” Savannah may have also shot at police. He threw out that the teen “may have also been involved in some of the fire exchange” — insinuating she was shooting at the cops. WTF. Does this reek of cover story? Sheriff Dicus did, however, admit to reporters that only ONE gun was found! That means whatever other narrative they try to push, the young woman was unarmed when she left the vehicle — and was shot to death.
Folks on Twitter were quick to pick up on what seems to have happened, with many just straight out making unequivocal accusations:
“‘San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus did not specify whether Savannah Graziano was shot by the responding deputies or her father.’ We’re gonna need some answers on this. Did the cops shoot and kill this 15 y/o girl?”
“In other words, the San Bernardino Sheriffs shot a child who was probably running towards them for help. There was an Amber Alert issued for her. They really want us to believe that she was shooting at them.”
“San Bernardino County Sheriff out here insinuating the girl—again, kidnapped by her own father—was armed. Nevermind that they only recovered one weapon, and it was in his possession.”
“let’s just lay odds now that the kidnapped girl in san bernardino was running to police for safety and they panicked and just fucking blew her away into oblivion”
“The San Bernardino Sheriff shot and killed a 15-year-old kidnapping victim as she ran towards them to seek help.”
“San Bernardino sheriff’s murdered a 15 yr old kidnapping victim, are now trying to blame her for it, and local fake journalists are spreading the sheriff’s lies without any evidence whatsoever. You can’t fix this. They don’t make us safer. Defund.”
Dicus concluded by saying the investigation wasn’t over:
“This investigation is going to take at least 24 hours before we’re able to provide you with more information as to what happened and exactly what the circumstances are as it relates to the officer-involved situation.”
Something tells us we’re not going to get much of an update if the answer makes them look bad. What do YOU think really happened??
[Image via Fontana Police Department/ABC7/YouTube.]
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