Sheriff-coroner Department Sandra Hutchens Sheriff-coroner County of Orange California Undersheriff John L. Scott*

R14b

The Orange County Sheriff's Department convene an independent panel of experts to examine the use of tasers as it relates to deaths after their use. Response: The OCSD has not changed its position on this recommendation. A study was completed by the U.S. National Institute of Justice relating to this issue. Findin? 14 In the last year, three deaths occurred after the use of a taser device by law enforcement personnel in Orange County. Response: Three deaths occurred in Orange County, after a Taser was used. One of these deaths involved the Anaheim Police Department and a domestic violence suspect who was not in Sheriff's custody. The other deaths involved inmate Michael Lass, who died October of 2007 and inmate Jason Gomez, who died in April of 2008. Both inmates were in OCSD custody at the time of their death. The Orange County District Attorney's office has completed their investigation into the death of Michael Lass. The investigation found no criminal culpability on the part of OCSD employees. The investigation into the death of Jason Gomez has not been completed. ./-- Additional questions posed by the 2008-2009 Grand Jury relating to hofds stabled at Musick: Could not additional animals be accommodated during a tempo%;y*emergency situation? . .*>' C,+L*C '?*; While the Musick facility has the ability to house animal~~fao.r-s hort period,of time the ,y,yh 3 following factors must be considered: ibr o Other than the stalls that are the homes the County horses, the facility has four temporary, non-roofed pipe stalls, one nin-ibofed large arena and one non-roofed round pen. The County horses'"se the arena and round pen routinely to keep them in a state of readiness for law enforcement assignments. Housing visiting horses in one of our arenas, pipe stalls or round pen would subject the animals to harm as not all horses get along, inclement weather conditions the stalls are not covered, and an uncertainty in care as the animal area is not always staffed. Additionally, housing horses out of their routine environment is always risky and when herded together, the risk of fighting and injury is high. Within the last 5 years has the Musick Facility accommodated large animals during an emergency and were such "liabilities" incurred? The James A. Musick Facility (JAMF) has never accommodated large animals during an emergency or natural disaster. The fire storms of 2007 and 2008 have necessitated OC Animal Control to request Sheriffs Mounted Enforcement Unit (MEU) staff to leave the Musick Facility and either stage or transport animals from areas at immediate risk of fire or flood. When this occurs, no staff is left at the Musick facility to care for the County horses. OC Animal Control has very little, if any, equipment for the emergency transportation of at-risk animals and always contacts the MEU for this purpose. With only two employees to supervise the care of the animals on a 2417 cycle, anyone leaving their horse at the JAMF would have an expectation that the animal would receive adequate care, which may not be the case. We are currently providing minimal (but adequate) care to the 11 County horses, any additional large animal responsibility would soon over-burden the staff. Sincerely, A Jw AMsikseis ta Sheriff