HISPANICS ASSAIL DRUG COUNT AGAINST POLICE-DEATH SUSPECT

Aim Is To Force a Guilty Plea, Civil Rights Lawyer Says

Leaders of the Hispanic community in Salt Lake City say they believe
prosecutors are piling on charges against the man accused of hitting
and killing a bicycle patrol officer.

On Aug. 4 prosecutors filed one count of possession with intent to
distribute drugs, a first degree felony, against 25-year-old Yocundo
Cruz-Silva.

The charge, however, stems from an incident almost two years ago in
which police allegedly discovered 1.7 grams of cocaine on Cruz-Silva on
Oct. 17, 1998.

Hispanic civil rights attorney Michael Martinez says the new charges
are prosecutors' way of forcing Cruz-Silva to plead guilty to negligent
homicide, a class A misdemeanor. The negligent homicide charge was
filed after Cruz-Silva allegedly drove his car 30 mph over the speed
limit, jumped the curb, hit and killed officer Michael J. Dunman on
July 17.

"All they are doing now is trying to find something to get him to
plead guilty to the negligent homicide charges," Martinez said.
"That's what this is all about. It's not about a drug charge, it's not
about his citizenship status, it's about law enforcement and that a law
enforcement officer was killed."

Salt Lake County District Attorney David Yocom was out of town and
unavailable for comment Monday but told the Associated Press the drug
charges were not filed sooner because the arresting officer improperly
processed the case.

Martinez and other Hispanic leaders also met with Mayor Rocky Anderson
more than a week ago complaining of a "symbiotic" relationship between
the INS and Salt Lake City Police.

Cruz-Silva was recently released from INS custody in Denver and is now
in the Salt Lake County Jail on $100,000 bail for the drug charge.

"This is all just a scam to get him back to Utah," Martinez said. "No
judge is going to allow them to bring him back on a misdemeanor charge
so they had to tell the judge there was a bigger charge."