FRESNO (KMJ) — A Fresno attorney has announced his intention to file federal charges against Fresno Police, alleging city residents are being severely harmed by the lax enforcement of domestic violence laws. Attorney Kevin G. Little describes it as a “systematic problem” within the police department.
Two women are listed as the first two names on the plaintiff side – who Little says were harmed as a result of inaction by Fresno’s Police Officers after they reported domestic violence incidents to them. Cindy Raygoza and Pamela Motley are the two names.
“We have a plaintiff, Pamela Motley, who called the police any number of times and not a single time did she receive the services that she was entitled to under state law or were her rights as a victim under state law fulfilled”, says Little.
“As a result, and only as a result, she’s now a quadriplegic because the domestic abuser that she was not protected from did exactly what he said he was going to do, what the police knew he had said he had said he was going to do, that he was going to come back on or before their wedding anniversary and shoot her in the face”.
“The other case is equally sad. It involves Cindy Raygoza who died last July. She also had called the police and was re-victimized by the officers who showed up. Who instead of giving her all of the services and fulfilling her rights as a victim, berated her for having a poor choice of men and told her that if she called again that she was crying wolf and that they wouldn’t respond to her calls”, says Little.
“They discouraged her from calling and indeed after that she didn’t call. Three months later her ex-boyfriend who had a long history of domestic violence and was subject to arrest broke into her apartment, tackled her, pinned her down, and stabbed her 22 times.”
Kevin little says he wants to get justice on behalf of the two women and bring about changes to how Fresno Police deal with domestic violence cases.
KMJ News has reached out to both Fresno Police and the City of Fresno for their response to the allegations. The City of Fresno says they haven’t been served yet and they don’t comment on pending or on-going legal issues. Fresno Police says they do give domestic violence cases the attention it deserves.
“Our DV unit investigates some 8,000 cases a year. This last we arrested 2,632 suspects for domestic violence and issued 1126 emergency protect orders”, says Chief Dyer. “I think that speaks highly of the fact that we take domestic violence very seriously.”
