Standing Up For Isaac
By Michael Nevin (04/21/04)
''406…Officer Down!'' These words from Officer Barry Parker that I heard on the radio the night of April 10 will forever be etched in my mind. Every cop’s nightmare came true that fateful night in San Francisco.
Officer Isaac Espinoza, an eight-year veteran, was killed by a heavily armed gang member. Parker was also shot but will recover from his physical wounds. Espinoza and Parker, members of an elite unit of police officers working in the city’s toughest neighborhoods, were there by choice--not by chance. Espinoza can be best described in police jargon as ''10-8'' (officer available or in-service). Simply stated, he was the cream of the crop. Every day he hit the streets, Isaac did his family, his city, and his department proud.
An arrest was made in the case, and the killer faces first-degree murder of a peace officer. California law explicitly holds that such a charge meets the special circumstance requirement necessary for the defendant to be eligible for the death penalty. However, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris will not seek the death penalty because she does not believe in it. During a press conference, Harris said, ''Today I want to be very clear: in the city and county of San Francisco, anyone who murders a police officer engaged in his or her duties will be met with the most severe consequences.'' This statement is not accurate. The most severe consequence is not life without parole, it is death. Harris was only providing window-dressing for her decision.
San Francisco police officers, officers’ families, and decent people all over the country are outraged by the decision of the district attorney not to seek the death penalty. But others, including the Westmob gang members supporting their partner in crime, feel differently. These parasitic gang members were both vocal and vile at the arraignment of the killer. One cannot expect much from people who prey on others for a living, and it is obvious that they have no respect for themselves or their community. Charging the death penalty sends a strong message to these very folks, the ones most needing to hear it.
When a person is charged with a crime, even in San Francisco, the people of the state of California are considered the plaintiff. This is not just the killing of a San Francisco cop, it’s the killing of a California cop. A recent review by the San Francisco Chronicle found that not charging the death penalty in this type of cop killing case is not only rare but possibly unprecedented in the state.
California voters brought back the death penalty through initiative in 1977, and it is undoubtedly the will of the people today. According to a recent study, California’s death sentence rate of convicted killers stands at only 1.3%. We are talking about a tool that is rarely used by prosecutors except in the worst cases. This is one of those cases. The killing of a police officer is not just about the person behind the badge, it’s about the badge itself. We are talking about people who have absolutely no regard for the public because if they’re willing to kill a cop, they’re willing to kill anybody.
United States Senator Dianne Feinstein poignantly explained, ''This is not only the definition of tragedy, it’s the special circumstance called for by the death penalty law.'' An assistant district attorney in a neighboring county told me: ''I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that the district attorney has decided to ignore the law passed by the people of the state of California for what amounts to a very political reason. The oath a district attorney takes when entering office includes a pledge to uphold the U.S. and California State Constitutions and to enforce the law. You can’t just choose the laws you like.'' Any district attorney has discretion, but the death penalty was never even under consideration in this case. To make matters worse, the announcement came three days before Espinoza was buried.
The public, community leaders, and politicians demand a lot from San Francisco police officers. It is not too much to ask where all of these people stand on this important issue. The silence is deafening.
The death of Officer Isaac Espinoza reminds cops of an important lesson: it doesn’t matter where you work, it matters who you work with. There is a special bond that exists between cops who work in places like San Francisco’s Bayview District. Isaac Espinoza was a working cop who not only served his community, he served his fellow officers. Standing up for Isaac is standing up for justice. And if you can’t stand up for Isaac, then you shouldn’t stand up for anything.
A trust fund has been set up for those wishing to make a donation in memory of this fine police officer and family man. Write to:
Isaac Espinoza Trust Fund
San Francisco Police Credit Union
2550 Irving St.
San Francisco, CA 94122
Checks payable to: The Isaac Espinoza Trust Fund
First published in ChronWatch
(Printer friendly version) Email: Michael Nevin
