Convicted burglar is 1st to be resentenced in Contra Costa County under new law
By Joe Dworetzky
Derric Craig Lewis, 61, was convicted of residential burglary and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
That sentence was revised on April 16, when the Contra Costa County Superior Court reduced it to 17 years the time he had already served.
In October 2004, Lewis took BART to Orinda where he entered a residence while two people were in the home.
He stole a purse and a bike. He later said that he stole the property to purchase drugs to support his addiction.
At the time of the offense, he was on probation after a number of felony convictions.
The Danville town council expected to hear from the police chief on how police officers are selected and trained after the same deputy has killed two people.
John Burris, a Bay Area-based civil rights attorney representing families of both men Hall killed in civil suits, said witnesses have disputed the official account, saying Wilson was backing up. Burris has said it was a kill shot to Wilson s face. Wilson, the African American son of a retired of a retired Southern California police officer, died in the hospital the following week.
The second shooting is still being investigated. Families of both deceased men said they suffered from mental health issues.
The report to be presented Tuesday details how Danville officers usually come to the city after serving as Contra Costa County sheriff s deputies, as Hall did. A staff report attached to the meeting agenda says officers are professional and well trained and undergo specific training in de-escalation techniques, bias awareness, and cultural diversity.
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A Richmond man could face hate crime and felony battery charges in connection with an attack on a man of Middle Eastern descent in El Cerrito Thursday afternoon, police said.
Police responded to a report of an assault at the intersection of San Pablo and Potrero avenues about 3 p.m. Thursday. Officers learned the suspect, 40-year-old Nicholas Andre Kimmons, approached the victim, a 69-year-old man, and asked for a cigarette.
“When the victim refused, the suspect made race-based comments before punching him in the head. The victim fell to the ground and lost consciousness,” police said. “A witness called the police.”
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The victim, a 69-year-old man of Middle Eastern descent, fell to the ground and lost consciousness after being punched in the head, police said. (Shutterstock)
EL CERRITO, CA A suspect was arrested in connection with an assault Thursday that authorities have classified as a hate crime, the El Cerrito Police Department said.
Officers at around 3 p.m. responded to a report of an assault near the intersection of San Pablo and Potrero avenues, police said.
Officers at the scene learned the suspect made a race-based comment and punched the victim in the head after he refused the suspect s request for a cigarette, police said.