CROWD PROTESTS DEATH OF GIRL SHOT BY S.F. POLICE

Several people demand cop be suspended Stephen Schwartz, Jaxon Vanderbeken,
Chronicle Staff Writers Thursday, May 21, 1998 )1998 San Francisco Chronicle

About 75 people crowded the San Francisco Police Commission hearing room
last night to voice their anguish and outrage over the death of Sheila
Detoy, a 17-year-old shot dead by police last week.

Detoy, of San Francisco, was killed on May 13 by officers who were in the
path of a car that carried Detoy, a man sought in a drug case and a second
man.

``Detoy was handed a death certificate for being in the wrong place at the
wrong time,'' said a young woman who identified herself only as Jasmine.

John Crew, director of the police practices project for the Northern
California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, told the commission
that the investigation of the shooting needs to be made public.

``Secrecy is (your) enemy,'' he said.

According to police, officers had been on a drug stakeout and had moved to
arrest their suspect when the car gunned toward an investigator. Inspector
Greg Breslin told authorities that he was in the path of the car, felt his
life was threatened and fired. The shot struck Detoy, who was in the front
passenger seat. Inspector Michael Moran said he fired in defense of his
partner.

Several speakers demanded Breslin's immediate suspension from the force and
some called for his dismissal.

Van Jones, a spokesman for the Bay Area Police Watch citizens group, said
the death of Detoy and investigation of the shooting are ``not being taken
seriously.'' Jones said Breslin should be suspended.

Other speakers said that charges against suspect Raymondo Cox, 21, who was
in the car, should be dropped. Cox was arrested the day after Detoy's death.
The suspected driver, Michael Negron, 22, is still being sought.

Deputy Chief Earl Sanders said the investigation of the shooting continues.
``We will investigate thoroughly and fairly, so that we get to the truth,''
he said.

In other actions, the commission postponed action on the inquiry into
alleged misconduct by two fraud investigators, who were accused of
mishandling the Foxglove murder conspiracy case.

The commission agreed to allow Chief Fred Lau, who was absent last night, to
present his recommendations June 17 in the case of Inspectors Daniel Yawczak
and Gregory Ovanessian.

The two were the original investigators who looked into allegations that
elderly men had been poisoned for their assets. They have since been taken
off the Foxglove case, which has led to charges against eight suspects.

Lau is seeking to transfer the charges against Yawczak and Ovanessian to an
internal hearing rather than a full-blown commission review.

Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst"