San Bernardino DA Declines to Charge Cop who Struck a White Man 16 Times with his Baton, Claims Unprovoked Attack was Valid Violence

From [HERE] The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has cleared a San Bernardino police officer of criminal wrongdoing after he struck a man 16 times with his baton during the videotaped arrest of a Crestline man in 2024.

Officer Javier Chavez’s “use of force was objectively reasonable and not excessive. It was therefore lawful,” said the DA’s 19-page report, which was released Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that “Reasonableness is an objective analysis and must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight. It is also highly deferential to the police officer’s need to protect himself and others.”

Investigators reached their conclusion by reviewing audio and video recordings and written police reports. Investigators did not interview the officers, the suspect or witnesses, the DA’s report said.

That investigation was separate from the internal probe by the Police Department, which determined that Chavez violated department policy. Chavez was suspended and returned to patrol duty after additional training, Chief Darren Goodman said. Chavez was not disciplined for using excessive force, but for something else related to the investigation that Goodman said he could not disclose because it is a personnel matter, Goodman said.

The suspect, Billy Lee Hill, 39, has filed a lawsuit against the city and the three officers he encountered the night of June 6, 2024. Hill alleged excessive force and other civil rights violations. The city, in its response filed with the court, denied the allegations. A mediation session has been scheduled for Dec. 8. [MORE]