Like a wanted poster out of the Old Wild West, the names of police officers in Stockton, California were posted around the city recently in an effort to clean up the police force.
A group of police watchers listed 15 officers as wanted, including at least 10 cops who have reportedly been involved in “the brutalization or killing of Americans,” and offered a $2,500 reward to anyone who submits information leading to the arrest or termination of cops “who brutalize or kill people.”
The poster included instructions to film any police brutality and a [__Facebook page__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/253705628142742) where the footage can be submitted, called the Stockton Police Department Corruption Reporting page, which has more than 10,000 likes as of this writing.
The police watchdog group also passed out flyers at the local courthouse, and provoked a response from the local police chief suggesting that the flyers may constitute a criminal act.
Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones said that the flyer “appears to invite retribution against our officers. I’m concerned that the flyer might be intended to put officers at risk, which would be reprehensible, and it is sad and disheartening to see a flyer like this with a $2,500 bounty,” he added.
One of the activists who passed out the flyer answered:
> The flyer is just informing the public that these people should be monitored and watched, and that it’s your right and responsibility to film the police. If there’s nothing that was done wrong, there’s nothing to be afraid of. If you’re calling a reward for accountability and wrongdoing a “bounty,” then that implies that somebody did something wrong. If there’s nothing to hide, they would laugh at it, but they know it’s serious. Their golden image is tarnished. This type of activism is not good for them and their image. That’s why they don’t care for it.”
The Stockton police watchers are likely motivated by incidents like the one below, where officers can be seen breaking a protester’s arm and kicking him while he was restrained.
According to the YouTube description:
> This man was doing nothing wrong. It is not against the law to cross the street. April 26, 2014, a peaceful demonstration in the names of those murdered by the Stockton Police department was held outside the cities yearly “Asparagus Festival”. The youth in Stockton these days are fed up with the misconduct and Civil Rights Violations. This was peaceful. This is our comrade. He and the rest of the group, who were done with the protest walked across the street from where the demonstration took place. When they got to the other side of the street, those good ol’ Co-intel instigators approached the people and intentionally caused a verbal conflict in hopes of getting this group worked up. Shortly after they denied these people their civil right to free speech, Officers attacked this man who was only trying to get back across the street to get some of the pizza he chipped in on. Please share. this type of abuse is taking place daily in the City of Stockton.”
From the [__group’s web site:__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/c1mov)
> Since the July 2010 killing of 16 year old James Rivera Jr, one of our own, we have been standing up against the tyrannical abuse of power demonstrated by some of the officers employed by the Stockton Police Department. When this young unarmed teen was attacked by two Stockton Police Officers and one Sheriff’s Deputy, it ignited a fuse inside the hearts and souls of not only James’ mother and father, but inside the hearts and souls of community members as well. This is still an ongoing battle, and we do not plan on stopping any time soon.
> Since the death of James Rivera, the City has seen an increase in police shootings, which has prompted much controversy, public outcry, and countless demonstrations against the culprits who continue to carry out these acts of terror in Stockton California. These monsterswho commit murder from behind an officers badge.
> We realize that this is not all of the police officers in Stockton. In fact, as you follow the links and read the contents within this site (and our Facebook page as well) you will see where our concern stems from. The problem is NOT the entire department, but rather a select few whose names have continued to pop up over the past few years. These are the officers that we have been demanding be held accountable as criminals, and traitors to the constitution each sworn officer took an oath to protect and uphold. Their job is to protect EVERYONE. Not just people of a light skin tone, or individuals living in more prominent parts of the city. We are all worthy of police protection. Not just from harm against property or person, but to our constitutional rights as well. We as a people can finally unite as ONE. Forget the color of your neighbor’s skin. Forget what side of town you grew up on. Chances are, if you have made it to this page, you are all the same color in the eyes of these heartless, cowardice monsters than continue to kill without discretion, right here on the streets of Stockton. Whats worse? They commit these crimes with full permission from Chief Eric Jones.
The owner’s of the site have remained secretive, [__registering their domain__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/www.whois.net) through a Florida company called Perfect Privacy LLC, which guarantees complete anonymity.
One of the officers listed on the flyer, Houston Sensabaugh, was recorded on video earlier this year, shoving a citizen with a camera, telling her “get that light out of my face,” even though he seemed to have approached her, not to mention that cops regularly shine lights in the faces of citizens. That video is posted below.
“I’m famous, look me up,” he tells her after she asked and received his name.
According to a Facebook page called [__California’s Deadliest Cops:__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/381187682044687)
> Officer Houston Sensabaugh Is responsible for the deaths of multiple citizens. In August of 2012 Houston shot and killed Edwardo De La Nieves, and also opened fire on Edwardo’s female passenger, hospitalizing her. She was innocent and did not deserve to be shot. Houston said he had to open fire because De La Nieves was going to “back over him with his vehicle”.
> 6 months later, in February of 2013, Houston would use the same reason to open fire (with SJ Sheriff Deputy Nicholas Tariol) through the driver and passenger side windows of a vehicle occupied by Stockton citizen Gary Hawkins.
> In October of 2014, during an anti-police brutality Protest, Houston would arrest a young man who suffers from a severe, and clearly visible, physical disability. Prior to this demonstration, Houston used intimidation tactics on the same young man, when he caught him walking alone. He told the young man that he would stop harassing him, when the protests stopped. The young man was released from jail the same day, with extreme bruising to his extremities, as Houston purposly put hand cuffs extremly tight on this young mans wrists.
> November 2014, Houston deployed his K-9 on a mentally disabled man whom has also participated in a number of demonstrations against police brutality. The K-9 attack lasted about one full minute. Witnesses who were trying to inform officers (who likely already knew) that the young man was mentally disabled, were arrested for “obstructing justice”.
> There is an array of other citizens all claiming to have been mistreated by this monster, and we as a community can not stand to have a man with a “Jeffery Dahmer” mentality patrolling our streets. Chief Jones refuses to reprimand any officers whom work beneath him
[__More info__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/know_your_stockton_police) on Sensabaugh. Other officers on the list have been involved in the shooting deaths of citizens including [__Gregory Dunn and Eric Arzavand,__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Stockton-teen-killed-in-police-shooting-identified) [__Wesley Grinder, Ryan Taiarioil and John Nesbitt__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/12644916) (when he was with the San Joaquin County sheriff’s Office).
Others have been involved in a [__questionable in-custody death,__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Probe-underway-into-Stockton-police-custody-death) including Irshad Mohammed, Gabriel Guerrero, James Manor and Jeremy Edens. Then there is [__Brian Cromwell,__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/manteca-police-release-body-cam-footage-of-homeless-beating) who recorded himself beating a homeless man while working for a different agency.
And David Wells was captured on video snatching a camera from a citizen who was recording him making an arrest, which you can see below. He was also involved [__in a court battle__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/C071526.DOC) where he entered a man’s home without a warrant.
Considering how hard it is for an officer to ever face arrest or termination, the $2,500 might go unclaimed for a long time, even if the officers do get caught violating their oath.
But it might motivate citizens to begin paying extra scrutiny to those who are sworn to protect and serve.
