Tulare County DA aware of Jeep incident at protest, waiting on police investigation

Two days after a Jeep struck two women during a protest in Visalia, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said it is waiting on a report from the Visalia Police Department before making any decision on the case.

“We are aware that the agency intends to submit reports to us when the investigation is complete,” District Attorney Tim Ward said in a news release Monday. “Therefore, it is inappropriate to discuss the facts of the case or make any decisions at this point in time.”

The incident, which happened around 3 p.m. Saturday at a Black Live Matter protest near Mooney Boulevard and Caldwell Avenue, was caught on video and widely shared on social media. Both women suffered minor injuries.

One of the women, 17-year-old Karina Ramirez, said the Jeep hit her right leg and stomach.

The suspected identities of those in the Jeep quickly circulated on social media and garnered responses from the public, including one from Fresno State, where at least one of the people is believed to be a student.

Visalia police declined to release the names of any of those involved. Still, they said none of the people in the Jeep were children of Visalia police officers, a claim that spread widely over social media.

“But there is an extended family relationship with one of the individuals to a Visalia officer,” Police Chief Jason Salazar said Monday. “However, that officer is not investigating the incident. That relationship has had no bearing on the investigation of this case or our department’s response to this incident.”

The driver did report the incident immediately, according to the department.

Chief, mayor respond

Salazar said the investigation remained ongoing and that while no arrests had been made, the case would be submitted to the DA’s office for review of potential criminal charges.

Visalia Mayor Bob Link and City Manager Randy Groom, in a letter on Monday, affirmed the department’s action in the case and said the district attorney’s office would be determining the next steps.

“We are all painfully aware of the confrontation that occurred on Mooney Boulevard between people of opposing viewpoints. It is unfortunate but factually accurate that all parties involved in the confrontation behaved in a manner that was irresponsible and fueled the confrontation,” the statement reads.

“The Visalia Police Department and the City are taking steps to properly investigate that situation and deal with it legally and appropriately. ... Though it was significant, this incident should not be the defining moment of the last week.”

According to the letter, there were several public protests and gatherings last week in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“Almost without exception, the behavior of those who gathered was peaceful.”

The Visalia Police Department has facilitated and monitored the gatherings for safety without unnecessary intervention, the letter says. However, it has been prepared to take a more assertive role “to protect lives and property.”

Youth reach courthouse

Around 50 people showed up to the Tulare County Courthouse in Visalia on Monday morning, demanding prosecutors file charges against the Jeep occupants and conduct a third-party investigation into the incident.

Briyanna, who attended the event and requested her last name not be used for safety reasons, said the Jeep’s occupants taunted the protesters shortly before driving into them, as shown in video footage.

A petition with nearly 100,000 signatures calling for legal action against the Jeep’s driver circulated online along with a photo of the suspected driver following the incident.

Briyanna said a growing number of youth and residents in Tulare County and beyond have organized around the issue and are demanding the District Attorney take action.

“If you or I were to hit someone while driving and drove away (police) would go to our house, and they would arrest us. This is not normal procedure,” Briyanna said. “Frankly, a lot of people in the police, and Tulare County, they probably agree that we shouldn’t be out there protesting.”

This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 10:35 AM.