Vol. 50 No. 14
July 25, 2019 - July 31, 2019
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or words or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress. —Fredrick Douglass (1849)
Murder By Design! By Dr. Eliz Coleman Dowdy, Guest Writer
Darrell Allen and his 2 oldest boys ADELANTO, CA- For communities of color, the all too familiar singing of bullets was heard in Adelanto on July 10 when deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arrived at an apartment complex on Poinciana Road, due to an alleged domestic battery charge lodged against Darrell Allen. The thirty-two-year-old Black man and his girlfriend were engaged in a dispute according to witnesses, many of whom have gone silent recently. After she
called the police, he allegedly left the apartment and went into a laundry room across the street. This is where he was when deputies made contact with him that fateful afternoon that proved to be Allen’s last minutes on earth as a hail storm of bullets tore into Allen’s body. There are two versions of why this atrocity occurred in the manner described above. According to first reports from the authorities, Allen advanced towards the deputies with a knife. Another version from
Darrell Allen and his 2 youngest boys Photos by Allen Family a witness stated that Allen, by law enforcement. Unarmed shirtless, raised his arms and had men! no weapon in them. According to reports from the Unfortunately, most of the attorneys, it appears that Allen witnesses are no longer speaking was in full compliance with orders out. However, his murder was from the deputies. FYI: this is why witnessed by relatives, including athletes kneel!!! a fifteen-year-old nephew, and Members of High Desert Action two four-year-old’s who started Committee, a group of activists, to run toward the direction the and attorneys working to defuse shots came from. They were the volatile situations that exist allegedly told to “get their black between communities of color a**** back or they would be and law enforcement will host a shot”, Question? If he was fully gathering August 7th, the compliant with orders why, as combined press conference, in families of other murdered men of front of Adelanto City hall, 11600 color ask repeatedly, was his Air Expressway at 5 pm and a body riddled with bullets, hence barbecue at the adjacent park to the subject of this article. Murder discuss why another killing, and by design! help those tired of the murders For the nay sayers who will say: by design, exhale. “he should have obeyed Darrell Allen was the dad of four instructions”, this is not an children, a member of Christ the isolated incident, according to Solid Rock Church in Apple Valley, attorneys Sharon Brunner and Pastor, Reverend Israel Riley. The Jim Terrell, they have at least six memorial services will be in open cases of “Murder by Orange County, Friday, July 26, design”, the fatal shooting deaths 2019. of people, especially men of color
By Dianne Anderson
It should come as no surprise that the last place most formerly incarcerated want to be is at another courthouse standing before another judge. That’s probably one reason why thousands that could have gotten expunged haven’t taken advantage of the process locally since 2014 when the expungement law opened up. Since then, Michelle Dodd has handled over 300 cases from start to finish. She takes care of the entire process, and all clients need to do is show up at the door of the Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino. And, it’s free. “They’re going to send you right to me. I’m going to do the paperwork, you’ll come in and sign it. You don’t ever have to see the judge or the court clerk,” said Dodd, case management director at the Legal Aid Society
of San Bernardino. Documents are sent by mail so the client doesn’t have to file. The judge hears it within 30 to 45 days when the order is denied, or approved, via the mail. With her 90% success rate, mostly it’s approved. Over the past few years, she has seen several clients come in that need multiple expungements. One client originally had three charges, but had snowballed into 28 parole layered charges. It was a case of violation on top of violation, on top of violation. “The reality is that they were young. Now they’re older, and all of these are from their past. They were silly charges,” she said. Youth get tied up in the system from an early age, and probably never learned how, or had an opportunity to clean up their past. Now that they’re older, they have a family to support and
Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com Clifton Harris Editor in Chief Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News
John McMahon Sheriff-Coroner DATE/TIME: July 10, 2019 11:10 a.m. INCIDENT: Domestic Battery/ Attempt Murder/ Deputy Involved Shooting LOCATION: 18100 block of Poinciana Rd., Adelanto SUSPECT: Darrell Allen, 32 years old, resident of Adelanto VICTIMS: #1- Confidential – adult female #2- San Bernardino Co. Deputy Sheriff
COMMUNITYS.B. Legal Aid Offers Free Expungement Precinct Reporter News
Publisher’s Corner
they’re trying to get a job. Despite their checkered backgrounds, some of her clients have been able to land decent work, but she recommends not waiting until the last minute to set the record straight. One client was up for a job at DMV, but he lost his window of opportunity because his expungement was not even close to being ready. He had to produce proof, but he didn’t realize that he needed an expungement until they notified him. “They sent him a letter of denial that he had a charge from 23 years ago, and he needed to get it fixed,” she said. “But they only gave him ten days to clear that up before he could reapply.” It cost him the potential job. Others have also come in because they are trying to assist their aging parents. Decades later, they can’t pass the background check without an expungement that they didn’t realize they needed. “They’re thinking I did two days in jail, and got 36 months of probation,” she said. “Now, it’s 20 years later and they can’t get the job because of that charge.” Dodd, who has worked with Legal Aid nearly 24 years, said the expungement law passed in 2014, but the forms changed in 2017 to re-sentencing language that now involves several different components, including
immigration. Until the laws change, the biggest barrier even with expungement is that the formerly incarcerated still must check the box that they’ve been arrested. “Once it’s expunged, it says dismissed instead of what the sentence was,” she said. “To get it off the record requires an entirely different motion, and character letters from people [without a] guarantee that’s going through either.” However, there may be some encouraging changes on the horizon for low-level offenders that have been locked out of jobs, housing or education because of their arrest record. AB 1076 wants to seal the conviction database of eight million records from public view, but it will be open for certain law enforcement agencies. To pass, it needs to clear both Democratically-controlled houses before heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign or veto in September. If passed, the law would take effect in January, 2021. “That’s the change we need,” Dodd said. Assemblymember Phil Ting (DSan Francisco), author of AB 1076, states on his website that the process of automating arrest and conviction relief at the California Department of Justice (continued on page2)
SUMMARY: On July 10, 2019 at 11:10 a.m. deputies were dispatched to a domestic battery and when they arrived, the victim said the suspect left the location on foot. Deputies were conducting an area check and while checking a nearby apartment complex laundry room, deputies determined someone was inside. The door opened, and the suspect emerged, advancing toward the deputies while armed with a knife, and a deputy involved shooting occurred. The suspect was shot and transported to Victor Valley Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Detectives from the Homicide
Detail responded to conduct the investigation. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information, or anyone who witnessed the incident, is asked to contact Detective Kevin McCurdy, Specialized Investigations Division – Homicide Detail at (909)387-3589. Callers can remain anonymous and contact We Tip at 800-78CRIME or www.wetip.com. Adelanto- Domestic Battery/ Attempt Murder/ Deputy Involved Shooting San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department 655 East Third Street San Bernardino, California 92415-0061
AN OPEN LETTER To: City of Adelanto Officials: Council Member Ed Camargo; Council Member Joy Jeanette; Council Member Gerardo Hernandez; Mayor Gabriel Reyes; Mayor Pro Tem Stevevonna Evans City of Victorville Officials: Mayor Gloria Garcia; Mayor Pro Tem Rita Ramirez; Council Member Jim Cox; Council Member Blanca Gomez; Council Member Debra Jones (Victorville) Re: Darrell Allen (DOD: July 10, 2019) in the City of Adelanto, California Elected Community Officials: The family of Mr. Darrell Allen, slain on July 10, 2019, by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, seek accountability, answers, and justice regarding the death of their beloved family member, Darrell. Members of the community also want answers and accountability. Unnecessary and senseless deaths are becoming all too common in our High Desert. Mr. Allen was shot, multiple times, in broad daylight in the City of Adelanto. It is believed Mr. Allen was fully complying with the commands of San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Allen did not pose an imminent threat to himself or those around him. Questions abound such as: What deescalating measures were taken by responding deputies and why does local law enforcement not yet have body cameras? Also, why haven’t the names of the shooting officers been released? This epidemic is not just limited to the City of Adelanto. Just last week, another shooting incident occurred in the City of Victorville. The negligent
and reckless acts of law enforcement endangered the lives of innocent bystanders and the public. These actions, which remain ignored, question the overall practice and morality of law enforcement. Mr. Allen was a young, black man; a wonderful father; a husband; a son; a brother. Now, those closest to him must live each day with this unfathomable absence in their lives. Mr. Allen’s family would like to know … as trusted, elected officials, what will be done to hold those who took Mr. Allen’s life, needlessly, and how will another senseless murder in the community be prevented? You were elected and chosen by this very community to protect and seek justice amongst the wronged. Will the people of this community be subjected to the loss of another valued member or will this epidemic stop? We come to you to seek the necessary security in protecting one another and to avoid losing lives at the hands of law enforcement. Can Mr. Allen’s family, along with your community, trust you to make a difference? There is a “Day of Action” scheduled for August 7, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. where Mr. Allen’s family will be present, along with members of the community, seeking answers to their questions. We hope when your name is called on August 7, 2019, you will stand and speak up for the people, or, will silence be heard with your absence? The choice is yours. Concerned Citizens: Paul Marsh, Suzanne Serdahely, Valentine Godina, James Terrell, Israel Riley, Clifton Harris, Socorro Cisneros, Sharon Brunner, Dr.Eliz Dowdy, Eli West
Our Values, Mission, & Vision Statement Our Values: Treat all people with care, respect, honor, and dignity. Tell it as it is with love, truth and integrity. Promote the interests of advertisers and sponsors along their strategic interest for the betterment of the community and beyond. Speak truth to power. Our Mission: To continuously improve communication between all people of the world. Our Vision: To be the best community newspaper in our region and the nation. Provider of: A voice for the poor, the underserved, those that are marginalized, Positive and edifying news about people, places and businesses. Keep San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties informed about global trends while retaining the consciousness of local events and processes. Memberships and Associations: The San Bernardino American Newspaper is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, National Newspaper Association and addociated with California Black Media.