Update: RPD Officer Dave Reeves, jr. filed claim in courts before Arrest

UPDATE: David Reeves, Jr. arraigned on 12 felony counts including robbery, attempted robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and burglary. His bail was raised to $500,000. ********


The Riverside Police Officers' Association sues City of Riverside over interrogation practices involving police officers. More to come...



An update on the arrest of former Riverside Police Department Officer Dave Reeves, jr. after Moreno Valley Police Department officers responded to a 911 regarding an armed robbery at an auto parts store. Several police agencies are investigating Reeves now to determine whether or not he was involved in other similar robberies in at least two cities.


(excerpt, Press Enterprise)

Briones said Reeves confronted a customer working on his car outside the store in the 23500 block of Sunnymead Boulevard.

Holding the customer at gunpoint, Briones said, Reeves entered the store and ordered employees to empty the safe. Employees overpowered Reeves, causing him minor facial injuries, he said.

Police arrived momentarily and took Reeves into custody. He identified himself as an off-duty officer and was found with a stolen illegal assault rifle, not related to his police duties, Briones said.

He was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, where he is being held with bail set at $250,000.

Moreno Valley police suspect Reeves in several other robberies outside the city, Briones said.

Police declined to reveal the motive in the holdup and are pursuing other leads.

A representative from the Riverside Police Officers' Association said that Reeves had been removed from the patrol division before his arrest. He later either resigned or was terminated from the police department.

The comments as they usually do in articles like this just keep on coming and so do other pieces of information.

Reeves Files a Claim for Injunctive Relief in Riverside County Superior Court

According to the court records found on the Riverside County Superior Court's Web site, Reeves filed a claim for injunctive relief against the city of Riverside with the date stamped, Oct. 7, 2009 just one week before his arrest. He had also filed a claim with the state's Fair Employment and Housing organization. The defendants in the lawsuit included the city, Chief Russ Leach, Sgt. George Masson and Capt. Mike Blakely.

According to his complaint, Reeves had been employed by the police department since 2001 and was a member of its union, the RPOA. In 2003, he severely fractured two neck vertebrae while off-duty.

In December 2008, Reeves suffered another neck injury causing him pain which he took narcotic medication to relieve and he was placed by the department on light duty. He had to undergo an examination several months later to see whether or not he was fit to remain a police officer which included obtaining medical records from various medical providers. Personnel Captain Michael Blakely gave him some time off from work. Reeves said that the records from Kaiser Medical Center took longer than expected which caused him to miss more work. Blakely then talked to him about his tardiness and said that he was suspected of using drugs. In his complaint, Reeves said there was no explanation provided by Blakely as to why he thought he was using drugs. At the time, Reeves stated he hadn't been taking any pain medication. At some point, he was compelled to take a drug test by Blakely and so it was off to the Internal Affairs Division.

Reeves said he was forced to ride in the same car as Blakely when he had requested to ride with his representative, RPOA President Chris Lanzillo. Lanzillo and Reeves had wanted to meet in private but were required to meet in the building instead. Blakely had Sgt. George Masson issue some field sobriety tests to Reeves. Reeves alleged that this was done solely to embarrass and humiliate him. He was asked to take a voluntary drug and alcohol urine test. Reeves declined. Lanzillo asked if he could contact Det. Ron Kipp to do the same tests as Masson because as a long-time narcotics detective, he had the experience to do a better job.

Blakely refused to allow that even when Reeves' attorney arrived. Reeves was compelled to undertake an administrative review by Blakely as to why he was tardy and why he showed up to work under the influence of drugs. Blakely also told Reeves that he couldn't participate in any field sobriety tests with his lawyer until after the meeting. Reeves met with a female attorney outside the building in a car with management standing by which led him to feel pressured, he stated. He finally did produce a urine sample to be tested.

So Reeves turns in a claim for injunction release for a drug test done on him a while back and that was filed a week before his arrest for armed robbery. That case is still in the courts, in its early stages without the city having had time to provide a response in return.

Reeves hasn't been charged with any crimes, just arrested for armed robbery, kidnapping and possession of an illegal gun, an assault rifle. He's in custody on $250,000 bail waiting to see what happens next.





Riverside creates yet another advisory committee. This one for bicycle riders.



(excerpt, Press Enterprise)

The city already had a long-term plan for bicycle facilities. In fact, the City Council heard a progress report on the plan Tuesday. But a document wasn't enough for Mayor Ron Loveridge.

"It's a plan. It just sort of sits there," Loveridge said. "We wanted to enhance the biking culture in Riverside."

Loveridge said he was impressed to learn that as many as 12,000 bicyclists per day cross the Willamette River in Portland, Ore., a city that has a bicycle advisory committee. Hoping to boost biking here, he formed Riverside's bike committee, which held its first meeting in September.

Cyclists who are on the committee said they're thrilled to see it come together.

"The Public Works Department has been working, as they put it, in a vacuum for years and years," said Pete Staylor, a member of the Riverside Bicycle Club. "Now they're getting input and suggestions from actual bicyclists."

Staylor, 56, has been biking since he was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2002 and had to give up higher-impact sports such as tennis and basketball.

He said his priority is maintenance and improvement of existing bike lines -- filling potholes, evening out pavement, and widening lanes -- "anything we can do to make bicycling safer," he said.

Experience vs new ideas in the Ward One City Council race in San Bernardino.


(excerpt, Press Enterprise)

Incumbent City Councilwoman Esther Estrada, 68, was first elected to the council in 1975 and served off and on through the early 1990s. She returned to the council in 1998 and has represented the First Ward since then.

Estrada said progress is beginning to be made on issues such as downtown revitalization and Westside improvements and she wants to see those projects through.

"I'm determined to stay on the council and do the best job I can and still punch away at those things," she said.

But her challenger, Virginia Marquez, 53, questions Estrada's effectiveness. She accused Estrada of being inaccessible to constituents.

"She is out of touch with the community," Marquez said. "She is just nowhere to be found."

Marquez, who cited the deterioration of the city's Westside as her reason for running, said she can bring new ideas to the council.

Estrada dismisses the criticism as typical political sloganeering.

"That's an old argument that any challenger can use and has been used against me in the past," she said, adding that she has defeated those opponents.