Monterey County Sheriff’s looking to implement body cameras, in spite of budget constraints
SALINAS, Calif. (KIONM-TV)- The Monterey County District Attorney's Office is leading the investigation into a deputy-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a man, who they say, barricaded himself inside a room with a mother and her daughter while armed with a knife.
The district attorney's office says the deputies with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office did not have body cameras at the time of the incident on Hyland Drive. Those four deputies that responded to the hostage situation have been put on paid administrative leave.
Investigators say the suspect forced his way into a home and was not known to the family. The suspect, identified as Anthony Tovar, forced his way in and past the husband and father of the victims before holding them hostage at knifepoint.
For full details of this incident: DA: Man killed by deputies on Hyland Drive barricaded himself with a mother and her toddler
“There was a dresser that Mr. Tovar barricaded the door and began to pull the clothes of the female mother off.," said Monterey County Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon. "She resisted and screamed. She tried to protect her daughter. The male that lives in the house called 911, explaining what had happened. The sheriff's office responded. They got there. You know, four minutes later.”
The DA's office says four deputies were on the scene and two opened fire, killing Tovar. The mother and child were uninjured.
It was later found the deputies didn't have body cams to help with the investigation. However, Brannon says that won't hinder their work.
“In this case, we do have witnesses, we’ve got the mother, the father who saw a lot of the sequence. Body cams are always helpful because it’s going to give us a picture of exactly what occurred. But in this case, it doesn’t create insurmountable difficulties," said Brannon.
Brannon also said that the Sheriff's Office wants to get body cameras, but says it’s a budgetary issue and it needs to be approved by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.
In a statement, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office said:
The Sheriff’s Office did not utilize body worn cameras when Sheriff Nieto took office, but it is an objective of Sheriff Nieto to bring them to the Sheriff’s Office.
As such, we began a comprehensive analysis of available body worn camera technology as well as their associated costs.
In addition, we informed the Board of Supervisors during budget hearings of the organization’s intent to implement body worn cameras into the day to operations of the Sheriff’s Office and there would be a cost associated in doing so.
We have applied for a US Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance grant in April 2023 to offset the costs of purchasing and implementing body worn cameras and are awaiting notification if our grant application will be awarded funds.
Monterey County Sheriff's Office
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors said in June during a supervisors' meeting Sheriff Nieto discussed implementing body cameras in her department.
