Salinas Police Dept. releases names of officers in fatal shootings

In response to public records requests, the city of Salinas has released the name of the officers involved with the four fatal officer-involved shootings that occurred this year.

In a letter to local media outlets Tuesday, city attorney Chris Callihan wrote:

“The city responded to each of these (public records requests) and on each occasion, both before and after the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Long Beach Police Officers Association vs. City of Long Beach, the city declined to identify these Salinas Police Officers.”

Callihan said that since March, the city has continued to re-evaluate and reconsider its position relative to the numerous threats it received against Salinas Police Officers. Callihan said the subsiding of previous threats and current circumstances no longer justify withholding the names, pursuant to the Supreme Court’s previous ruling.

The internal investigation of each of these four shootings is still ongoing and has not been completed.

Here are the names of the officers who responded to these incidents.

March 20:
Sgt. Mark Lazzarini, 19 years of service
Officer Daniel DeBorde, three years of service
Officer William Yetter, two years of service

May 9:
Officer Derek Gibson, six years of service
Sgt. George Lauricella, 18 years of service

May 20:
Officer Josh Lynd, 18 years of service
Sgt. Danny Warner, 13 years of service

July 10:
Sgt. Brian Johnson, 10 years of service
Officer Scott Sutton, seven years of service

“The city of Salinas is not otherwise publishing the names or issuing a press release with respect to the identities of the Salinas Police officers named herein,” said Callihan in his letter.