Nearly three weeks after an unidentified motorist drove through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters marching in Santa Rosa, basic details about the Santa Rosa Police Department’s investigation into the matter remain unclear, angering protesters who say the driver’s actions threatened their lives.

On June 20, a motorist in a white Porsche Cayenne drove through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters marching along Santa Rosa’s Sonoma Avenue. Since then, dozens of protesters who witnessed the incident have reported it to the police, alleging that the motorist drove recklessly with intent to injure protesters.

At least three witnesses submitted video of the event along with their police reports. The driver, whose identity has not been revealed by police, reported the incident, too, alleging protesters attacked her.

SRPD’s Violent Crimes Investigation Team (VCI) conducted an investigation and turned their findings over to Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch’s office on Tuesday, July 7, according to Santa Rosa police lieutenant Jeneane Kucker, a department spokesperson.

“This case has been sent to the DA at this point for a decision on prosecution. Our VCI team thoroughly investigated the case and interviewed more than 25 (plus) [sic] people involved,” Kucker told the Bohemian in an email.

On July 8, Brandon Gilbert, an assistant to Ravitch, confirmed that the prosecutor’s office is reviewing the case.

“We just received the investigative report and it is under review,” Gilbert said. “We will be reviewing all digital media as well.”

Still, it’s not clear yet who the police actually investigated.

Lt. Kucker twice did not respond to questions asking whether the VCI investigated the driver, protesters or both as possible perpetrators.

That lack of clarity and publicity seems appropriate for the case given that the SRPD’s initial public statements about the incident seemed slanted in favor of the driver, in contrast to multiple videos of the event circulating online.

A press release issued by SRPD the day after the June 20 event created alarm among protesters that the driver was described as the victim. The SRPD press release described the motorist as a nurse who had gotten off work at a local hospital, and multiple news websites wrote articles that relied only on the SRPD release as a source.

According to the release, the motorist alleged that she was followed by someone on a bicycle who punched her in the face when she stopped her car. Protesters who witnessed the driver accelerate through the crowd doubt this claim.

The Bohemian asked Lt. Kucker, “How did SRPD determine that the driver was punched? What evidence supports that?” Lt. Kucker did not answer these questions either.

Alleging that police and media dangerously misrepresented protesters in their reporting, a group of about 20 witnesses gathered on two occasions to demand justice from SRPD and the DA’s office.

Sophia Grace Ferar, one of the organizers of these follow-up actions, said that the event’s media coverage frustrated her deeply. She noted that SRPD issued no subsequent press releases about the event, despite telling a witness that they had received 60–70 statements from protesters.

“We were almost run over and the only difference between us and Summer Taylor, who lost her life [during a protest in Seattle], is that we had security in front of us who gave us a heads-up,” said Ferar. (The King County Prosecutor charged the driver who killed Taylor with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving on Wednesday.)

On July 7, Ravitch and six deputy DAs came to Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse to meet with a group of protesters. Though prompted by the investigation into the incident between the motorist and protesters, the meeting was broader in scope.

Delashay Carmona Benson, a local Afro-Latina activist and community organizer, spoke with Ravitch before and at the meeting. Carmona Benson says that she will be assembling a committee of Black and Indigenous community members who will meet with Ravitch every two weeks.

“Everything starts with dialogue,” Carmona Benson said.

When asked whether she feels optimistic about her interaction with Ravitch, Carmona Benson said, “I felt she was listening and that she was responsive.”

Carmona Benson told Ravitch she wants to meet with judges, parole officers, probation officers and people from the family law division. She says Ravitch has already begun to put her in touch with those people, as promised.

Regarding the meeting, Gilbert said, “[Ravitch] plans to continue to engage with all members in the community she was elected by and lives in. She believes strongly that all voices should be heard and that dissent should be respectful and not dismissive. She believes this is an important time for all of us, and we need to focus on working together for positive change. She has pledged to be part of that effort.”

Carmona Benson said, “It’s her job to work for the people. We elected her. I think she knows I’m not afraid to tell the world if she’s not doing it.”

The half-trillion-dollar loan program advertised as a lifesaver for the country’s struggling small businesses is again under fire after the Small Business Administration (SBA) on Monday released a list containing hundreds of recipients of the program, revealing that several private equity-backed chains owned by members of Congress and dozens of publicly traded companies and corporations received millions.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)—a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act—first drew scrutiny after it quickly burned through its initial $350 billion allocations by helping large public companies secure multi-million dollar loans while several small businesses missed out. There’s also the fact that the big banks administering the program on behalf of the government are expected to net hundreds of millions of dollars in fees.

If at least 75 percent of the loan is used for payroll, it becomes “forgivable,” according to the SBA.

Here are a few of the companies which received large or otherwise notable loans in the North Bay:

— Ygrene Energy Fund, a Petaluma company that offers energy efficiency financing and has raised millions of dollars in venture capital investments, according to news reports, received a loan of between $5 and $10 million to cover 229 employees.

— The Francis Ford Coppola Winery, named for its movie-director owner and based in Geyserville, received a loan of between $5 and $10 million to cover 469 employees.

— The parent company of Napa County’s French Laundry restaurant received a $2 to $5 million loan for 163 employees. Thomas Keller, the company’s owner and celebrity chef, is suing his insurance company for failing to pay for losses due to the pandemic.

— Piatti Restaurant Company, which owns and operates Mill Valley’s high-end Italian restaurant, received a $2 to $5 million loan for 459 employees.

— 23 Bottles of Beer, LLC, the parent company of the North Bay’s Russian River Brewing Company, received a $2 to $5 million loan for 196 employees.

— The Girl and the Fig, a popular restaurant in the city of Sonoma, received between $1 and $2 million for 138 employees.

— Then there are the politicians. According to Bloomberg News, Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the longtime San Francisco congresswoman, holds an 8.1 percent stake in the San Rafael-based EDI Associates. EDI in turn has an investment in the El Dorado Hotel, located in the city of Sonoma. EDI Associates received a loan of between $350,000 and $1 million for 52 employees. A spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi told Bloomberg that Paul Pelosi was “not involved in or even aware of this PPP loan.”

— Congressman Devin Nunes, a Republican who represents the Central Valley, has reportedly outdone Pelosi on the loan front. Nunes owns a stake in Alpha Omega Winery, according to news reports. The St. Helena winery received a $1 to $2 million loan for an unreported number of employees.

Editor’s note: The Bohemian is part of a group of 12 weekly newspapers that did apply
for and receive a PPP loan of $1-2 million through Nuz, Inc. in Santa
Cruz.