Community activists are sounding hopeful notes after meeting with Carlsbad police in the wake of 27-year-old Marcel Cox-Harshaw’s mid-June arrest.
That violent arrest sparked calls for reform.
The confrontation happened June 11 when Carlsbad firefighters and police responded to reports of a man lying on a sidewalk. As police arrived the man became upset.
"Are you mocking me?" Cox-Harshaw was seen on police body-worn camera yelling at a firefighter.
"No, I’m not mocking you," the firefighter responded.
Police put on plastic gloves and intervened. Officers attempted to put Cox-Harshaw in handcuffs, which triggered a scuffle. The police officers' body cameras were knocked off.
Cox-Harshaw shouted as officers struggled to subdue him. Police used a taser, and then a passing motorist stopped and recorded the arrest on a cell phone.
Once handcuffed, an officer held Cox-Harshaw’s head to the sidewalk.
Eventually, the officers put a spit hood over Cox-Harshaw’s head, strapped him to a gurney. He was then taken to a hospital.
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There he was given a sedative, cited with resisting arrest and released. Recently, activists have met with the police to talk about their tactics, and that could lead to changes.
Carlsbad police may change how police body cameras are attached so they don’t come off and the department is willing to consider a community review board for the department.
Activists said police will also make internal disciplinary reports available to the public under a recently enacted state law.
“We’re pulling these things together to make sure we lookout for the best interest of the community and law enforcement in general. We’re going to make sure we meet in the future with open transparency,” said Yusef Miller, of the North County Civil Liberties Commission.
Police Chief Neil Gallucci did not attend the meetings, but he did assign an assistant chief and a police captain to talk to the community advocates.
That disappointed some.
“We feel in this time of heightened police brutality and racial injustices among people of color, specifically African American men, that racial bias training should be more frequent,” said Robert Jenkins, of the North County NAACP.
Carlsbad police said in a statement to KPBS they will continue to work with the community to address any shortcomings. The statement called the public’s trust essential.
