Tasing of Tyler focus of long-delayed trial Rushings seek verdict that Chico police violated son’s constitutional rights

photo by Leslie Layton
Scott & Paula Rushing after their July hearing at the North Butte County Courthouse.

by Dave Waddell
posted Oct. 6

On the eve of a long-awaited civil rights trial over their late son’s tasing by Chico police, Scott and Paula Rushing are “cautiously optimistic” about getting justice for Tyler.

The Estate of Tyler Rushing v. City of Chico will be tried beginning at 9 a.m. Monday (Oct. 7) in Courtroom 4 on the 15th floor of the Robert T. Matsui Federal Courthouse, 501 “I” Street, in Sacramento. Judge Dale A. Drozd of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California will preside.

On Oct. 4, Drozd issued a tentative decision on various motions. Scott Rushing characterized the overall ruling as “about the best we could get” given previous court decisions. Critically, from the Rushings’ standpoint, Drozd will permit the jury to learn what Rushing called “the totality of circumstances” that led up to Tyler’s tasing. The City wanted testimony restricted to the tasing itself. read more

The race between two Mikes Two candidates vie for the Chico City Council's District 1 seat

District 1 is an L-shaped area located west of the Esplanade and extending north to Fannie Drive and south to West 8th Avenue.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Oct. 1

Editor: ChicoSol will cover the races for four City Council seats that voters will decide in the Nov. 5 General Election. The first in our series is District 1, where candidate Michael O’Brien has outspent opponent Michael Johnson by almost nine times. (See graphic below.)

Candidate Mike O’Brien is the head of Butte County Interagency Narcotics Task Force and a former Chico police chief; his opponent, Mike Johnson, is a businessman running an IT consulting business and a U.S. Navy officer.

ChicoSol interviewed and photographed Johnson on Sept. 17. O’Brien did not respond to requests for an interview that were delivered in texts, emails and phone calls. The two Mikes have both focused on homelessness, public safety and infrastructure improvements in their campaigns. But ChicoSol found their approaches quite different. read more

Will CSU’s new policy affect campus free speech? Some students and faculty worry; university officials say nothing has changed

photo by Yucheng Tang
Professor Lindsay Briggs makes a suggestion at the Sept. 25 campus forum.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Sept. 26

This story was updated Sept. 28 as more detail on the policy emerged.

On a list of 174 locations on the Chico State campus, only three are listed as “Public” that are available for sound-amplified assembly, marches, protests, and debate between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays by reservation, based on the newly-introduced, California State University (CSU) Interim Time Place Manner policy.

However, university spokesman Andrew Staples said Sept. 27 that outside spaces at Chico State, including Trinity Commons, can be used for “demonstrations, protest etc.” during campus operating hours that are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily if the area hasn’t already been reserved. A document sent to ChicoSol Sept. 28 called “Addendum Specifics” says those areas can be used for “non-amplified speech and expression.” read more

Media literacy expert: Identify fake news by looking at sources Podcasts and other new media lack "gatekeepers" but broaden discourse

photo courtesy of Janet Rechtman
Author and media literacy expert Nolan Higdon

by Yucheng Tang
posted Sept. 15

Disinformation. Misinformation. Lies. Bunk. Hoaxes.

All those terms fall under the umbrella of fake news, according to a media literacy expert, who spoke Sept. 14 to the League of Women Voters in Chico.

“We generally only cherry-pick the fake news producers that we dislike,” said Nolan Higdon, the author of “The Anatomy of Fake News.” “We don’t like to admit there are some people we do like who also produce fake news.”

Hidgon, a history and media studies lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was invited by the local League to discuss media literacy and recommend tips that can be used to fight fake news. The most important thing he wanted to encourage people to do is to verify that information they’re consuming meets journalistic standards. read more

Homeland Celebration delivers “taste of the world” Pae Xiong: "We are trying to tell people that we exist"

photo by Yucheng Tang
Hmong dancers during the Thursday Night Market.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Sept. 13

On stage at City Plaza, 13 Hmong girls from Oroville, dressed in traditional attire, performed a dance to the Hmong song, “Hello, Hello, I Like You.” Below the stage, audience members took pictures, recorded video and applauded. This was the opening performance at the Sept. 12 Homeland Celebration event.

“Our girls love to perform. It’s a good experience for them,” Passion Chue told ChicoSol. She works as a program supervisor at Oroville’s Hmong Cultural Center and oversees all youth programs, including the dancing team. Chue said the girls practice dancing at the center after school in a limited space and without mirrors. read more

Chico PD shooting review slams sergeant In-house analysis: Sgt. Ruppel made string of mistakes in Rushing death

The PowerPoint review of the 2017 Tyler Rushing killing that the City of Chico refused to release until ordered by a judge to do so.

by Dave Waddell
posted Sept. 12

A veteran Chico police sergeant did almost everything wrong on the night seven years ago when he gunned Tyler Rushing down, according to Chico PD’s own analysis of the incident.

The recently disclosed in-house review, which the Chico City Council spent many tax dollars trying unsuccessfully to suppress, also criticizes that sergeant, Scott Ruppel, for “dangerously” shooting the critically wounded Rushing while he was in the grasp of two other officers.

Escaping criticism in the analysis was Billy Aldridge, now Chico’s police chief and then a lieutenant and the department’s on-duty watch commander during the incident. Aldridge never took command until after Rushing was shot. The PowerPoint criticizes Ruppel for his failure to “relinquish” control before authorizing a siege on a restroom that ended in Tyler being shot to his death and then tased while incapacitated. read more