We understand our normal Coffee with a Cop hours does not work with everyone’s schedules. Therefore, we have created a night time version we are calling Dine with a Deputy!
It will be next Wednesday, October 25th, at the Starbucks located inside Target at 38019 47th Street East, from 6:00pm – 7:30pm.
We hope you can come out and join us at this new time, for some coffee, food and good conversations!
See you there!
Death of Palmdale Man Ruled a Suicide
Sheriff Alex Villanueva called a press conference today, Thursday, July 9, 2020, to announce the latest findings in the circumstances surrounding the death of Robert Fuller, who was found hanging from a tree in Palmdale. Mr. Fuller’s body was discovered in the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 10, 2020, in the 38300 block of 9th Street East, Palmdale. He was 24 years old.
From the beginning of the investigation, Sheriff Villanueva assured the decedent’s family and the public a thorough and objective investigation would be conducted, with the cooperation of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice Attorney General’s office.
Commander Chris Marks, who oversees Detective Division and Homicide Bureau, provided a timeline of events in the investigation, the steps detectives took, the information they gathered, and the factual culmination of their results. Based upon many components of the investigation including: Evidence collected at the scene, the calculation of physical logistics at the scene, evidence collected at supplemental locations, scientific results, autopsy results, mental health and medical records, clinically-documented statements of suicidal intent made by the patient, information from the family, and the lack of evidence of involvement by a third party, The Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner determined that Robert Fuller’s death was a suicide by hanging, and published that report.
The Sheriff offered his condolences to the Fuller family for the loss of their son, and called upon the Board of Supervisors for proper funding of mental health treatment centers, which often run overcrowded, underfunded and without enough resources.
Because of the current civic climate and in the wake of civil unrest across the nation, the manner of Robert Fuller’s death raised many questions. Many demanded answers right away, however, this type of investigation takes time and methodical, documented processing. “Because the people are demanding answers immediately,” said Sheriff Villanueva, “doesn’t mean we get to skip processes.” Skipping steps and rushing to judgement to satisfy outside pressure can easily compromise the truth. “The only pressure we should satisfy is the truth,” said the Sheriff.
A Palmdale Sheriff’s Station deputy took swift action at a park recently, when he encountered a desperate mother and her son, who was in physical distress. On Sunday, May 31, 2020, security camera footage captured the intense moment when two women ran frantically across a supermarket parking lot in the 3000 block of Rancho Vista Boulevard; one of them carried a limp, 11-month-old boy and stopped to administer back blows upon him. Moments earlier, the women were participating in a protest at the park, when the baby got sick, stopped breathing and lost consciousness. They ran toward deputies who were across the street, monitoring the protest, to seek assistance.
Deputy Cameron Kinsey spotted the women coming his way, ran toward them, and met them in the parking lot. An anxious mother handed her son to the deputy, who immediately recognized something was gravely wrong. Deputy Kinsey assessed the child, administered a mouth sweep with his finger and dislodged vomit. Video footage shows clear relief in the posture of everyone encircling when the baby began to breathe again and regained alertness. Paramedics arrived shortly afterward and transported the toddler to the hospital for treatment. It was later determined the little one swallowed a coin, which lodged in his throat and blocked the airway. It was Deputy Kinsey who opened the airway with the mouth sweep procedure and turned the coin sideways, allowing air to pass through.
“None of that other stuff matters,” said Deputy Kinsey about all the other things going on around him at the time, “Just the baby.”
