Dave Phillips at a recent meeting of Chico City Council
by Dave Waddell
In the wake of the killing of Desmond Phillips, community activists expressed support Monday for establishing a citizen board to review the Chico Police Department’s internal investigations.
Pastor Vince Haynie said proponents of citizen oversight are researching the practice in other cities and gathering support from various community groups.
“In light of recent events, we really need that,” Haynie said at the May 1 meeting of the Human Relations Network of Butte County.
Haynie’s reference was to the killing of Phillips, who was black, mentally ill and 25 years old. Phillips was shot 10 times by officers Alex Fliehr and Jeremy Gagnebin on March 17 in his father’s living room.