Lawyers for two Black Lives Matter protesters are demanding that charges be brought against the driver of a silver BMW who took part in an altercation with those protesters.
Sam Grocott and Robert Lastra are two of the six defendants in connection with a Black Lives Matter protest that took place in San Luis Obispo on July 21st.
During this protest, protesters blocked Highway 101 and police claimed that some protesters committed acts of vandalism.
In the drone images just released by Grocott’s lawyer, Vincent Barrientos, the BMW driver can be seen getting into a verbal altercation before entering a person on a bicycle, and then trying to continue on Highway 101 , hitting a person with a yellow shirt. identified by Barrientos as Grocott.
IMAGE OF DRON SLO PD
According to later, a person identified as Lastra is seen throwing his skateboard into the car in what he said was an attempt to stop the vehicle.
Following the incident, the California Highway Patrol posted photos seeking to identify the people involved, saying protesters attacked the vehicle.
At the time, Captain Greg Klingenberg, commander of the CHP San Luis Obispo area, told KSBY News: “One of them jumped into the hood of the vehicle. The other, after the gentleman had jumped from the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle then had a way to get out of the area and as they were leaving, another person grabbed their skateboard and crashed into the rear window of the vehicle as it exited. “
CHP reported that the glass of the broken window fell on a four-year-old boy who was sitting in the back seat.
Barrientos says the video of the drone was made by the San Luis Obispo police department and acquired as part of his case. He says the video shows the CHP lied to the community.
“We have a problem as a society when law enforcement – whom we trust, who seeks to protect us – goes on television lying, especially when they have video evidence that could give the public and the public can see them for themselves. themselves and make them their own informed decision, ”Barrientos said.
Barrientos also posted a partial text of the California Highway Patrol interviews with the BMW driver in which he allegedly told officers. “I’m about to travel 100 miles per hour for that stupid late ******* mother ** people“i”These lame, I should have brought my glock. ”
No charges have been filed against the driver, who has only been referred to in court documents as “John Doe.” Law enforcement says he began receiving threats after the incident and that his identity is being protected.
Grocott and Lastra face charges for their roles in the incident.
Lastra is charged with false imprisonment and vandalism for crime.
Grocott faces three charges of false imprisonment.
KSBY
On the night of the protest, Grocott described the collision to KSBY News.
“That’s when I ended up in his hood, holding myself next to the windshield wipers while other protesters gathered to stop him,” he said, adding that the driver was blaspheming the protesters, telling them to get out of the way. , and drive to the shoulder of the road.
Barrientos says in a letter to the California Highway Patrol that the driver should be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.
“No rational person thinks it’s okay to drive your car against someone else because you’re in a hurry to check into a hotel while you’re on vacation in San Luis Obispo County and that’s why we demand that the drivers arrest the driver of that car “, he said.
Lastra’s attorney, Brian Ford, said in a statement:
I am familiar with the video and statements quoted in Mr. Barrientos ’letter, and I fully agree with his calls for justice. However, I believe that these materials clearly establish that the BMW driver committed the crime of attempted first-degree murder (section 664/187 (a) (1) of the Penal Code) because he intentionally attempted, and with mischief, but failed to kill Sam Grocott. The failure of District Attorney Dan Dow’s office to take legal action against this individual smells of injustice and corruption.
KSBY News contacted the California Highway Patrol for comments. Agent Mike Poelking, of the San Luis Obispo CHP office, said the agency does not comment on the pending litigation.
Lawyers for Tianna Arata, whom police identified as the leader of the protest, applied for a gag order against the CHP in October 2020. In the document, lawyers pointed to several Facebook and Instagram posts that they believe they created “blatantly false narratives and harmful misinformation.”
The San Luis Obispo police department says it will not make statements on the matter because the CHP is the investigating agency.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office issued the following statement Thursday evening:
The district attorney’s office is confident that the facts and circumstances surrounding Mr. Grocott’s arrest will be fully and fairly revealed to the courts once the matter is dealt with before a jury of members of our community. . The prosecutor will not respond to the non-factual rhetoric of Mr. Grocott’s attorney. In fact, the California Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit any attorney involved in the litigation of a case from making a statement that the attorney reasonably knows will be made public and that he or she has a substantial likelihood of prejudicing the case. This includes not only the statements of an individual attorney, but the public publication of evidence outside the court process that poses the same threat to due process. The rules of professional responsibility are intended to ensure the fair application and due process of law of all parties. These rules apply equally to prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys.
KSBY News also contacted San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon and San Luis Obispo City Council members for comment, but has not yet received it.
Grocott is expected to return to court on this issue on March 3. Barrientos says he plans to file documents to dismiss the charges.