Derek Chauvin trial: Pig blood smeared on use-of-force expert Barry Brodd's former home for backing killer cop
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA: Just four days after he testified for the defense in Derek Chauvin's trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota, use-of-force expert Barry Brodd's former California house was smeared with pig's blood on Saturday, April 17.
Santa Rosa Police said that around 3 am on Saturday, they responded to a home that had been vandalized. In a press release, the police said that the resident of the home told authorities that they woke up to a group of people throwing a pig's head on their front porch and splattering blood on the front of their home.
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Target missed
According to the police, Brodd, a former Santa Rosa Police Department training officer, had actually moved out of the house several years ago. In fact, he doesn't even live in the state any longer. "Because Mr Brodd no longer lives in the city of Santa Rosa, it appears the victim was falsely targeted," Santa Rosa police said in a statement. Police say that the vandals dressed in all black and fled the scene as the victim phoned authorities. The incident is considered felony vandalism as there was more than $400 worth of damage to the house.
Brodd was the target
"It appears the suspects in this vandalism were targeting Mr Brodd for his testimony," the police statement read. On Tuesday, Brodd, a consultant on police practices and use of force, testified as a paid expert witness for the defense. In a statement that caused a lot of furor, Brodd said that the force Chauvin used on George Floyd was justified and that the former Minneapolis police officer "was acting with objective reasonableness following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement in his interactions with Mr Floyd".
However, Brodd's statement did not sit well with his own. After Brodd's testimony, Santa Rosa Police Chief Rainer Navarro issued a statement saying Brodd's comments "do not reflect the values and beliefs" of his police department.
It was also in stark contrast with several Minneapolis Police Department use-of-force trainers and top department officials who testified against Chauvin's use of force. "That action is not de-escalation," Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified during the trial. "And when we talk about the framework of our sanctity of life and when we talk about our principles and the values that we have, that action goes contrary to what we are talking about."
At Santa Rosa Plaza Mall, which is roughly 45 minutes away from the house, another act of vandalism took place. A large hand statue was also smeared in pig's blood. The vandals also left a sign in front of the statue with a picture of a pig that read "Oink Oink," the release said. Police believe both the home and hand statue were vandalized by the same people. "The suspects were seen fleeing the area and matched the descriptions of the suspects who vandalized the house," the police statement reads.