Editing Rohnert Park, California (section)

===Department of Public Safety===
Rohnert Park is patrolled by the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, established in 1962, that operates as an integrated fire and police department. This is one of only two cities operating [[Department of Public Safety|Departments of Public Safety]] in California.

====Shooting of Kuanchung Kao====
{{Main|Shooting of Kuanchung Kao}}
On April 29, 1997, Kuanchung Kao was waving a wooden stick in the street in front of his driveway. When some neighbors called 911, two officers, Jack Shields and Mike Lynch, responded. Shields shot Kao once in the chest. Shields stated that he believed Kao was waving the stick in a [[martial arts]] fashion, and that he and Lynch had to respond by using deadly force. The incident was investigated by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, and [[FBI]], who all cleared Shields. Kao's family and attorney [[John Burris]] filed a lawsuit against the city of Rohnert Park, and received a settlement of $1 million in 2001.

====2015 police controversy====
On July 29, 2015, Rohnert Park Public Safety Officer Dave Rodriguez<ref name="abc7news.com">{{Cite web | url=http://abc7news.com/news/rohnert-park-officer-being-sued-for-drawing-gun-on-man/911687/ | title=Rohnert Park officer being sued for drawing gun on man| date=August 8, 2015}}</ref> drew his sidearm during an encounter with city resident,<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Rohnert-Park-Police-Officer-Who-Pulled-Gun-on-Man-Placed-on-Paid-Administrative-Leave-320989391.html | title=Rohnert Park Cop Who Pulled Gun Out on Man Placed on Leave}}</ref> while the resident was hitching his boat trailer to his vehicle.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/calif-pulls-gun-man-recording-video-article-1.2316656 | title=SEE IT: California cop pulls gun on man recording video of him - NY Daily News| website=[[New York Daily News]]}}</ref> The resident recorded the incident and posted it on [[YouTube]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/9cDy3tUy4Io Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150805193133/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cDy3tUy4Io Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cDy3tUy4Io| title = Rohnert park police | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/08/07/cop-confrontation-goes-viral-pulls-gun-orig.cnn|title=Cop confrontation goes viral - CNN Video|website=[[CNN]]|date=August 7, 2015 }}</ref>

Rodriguez was placed on administrative leave while the city conducted an internal investigation into the incident.<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |last1=Rocha |first1=Veronica |title=Northern California cop placed on leave after pulling gun on man recording him |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-northern-california-cop-pulls-gun-on-man-recording-him-20150807-story.html |access-date=September 3, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 7, 2015}}</ref> In August 2015, the city engaged an independent investigator,<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 4, 2015 |title=City of Rohnert Park California : City News : Message about video of Rohnert Park Public Safety Officer |url=http://www.rpcity.org/index.aspx?page=28&recordid=1189&returnURL=%2findex.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924092307/http://www.rpcity.org/index.aspx?page=28&recordid=1189&returnURL=%2findex.aspx |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |website=City of Rohnert Park, California}}</ref> who found that Rodriguez's actions were within the law and followed department policy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6229218-181/crimebeat-what-became-of-the?ref=most|title = What happened with the Rohnert Park police encounter that went viral?|date = October 26, 2016}}</ref>

A civil rights claim filed on behalf of the resident asserted that Rodriguez was trying to intimidate him.<ref name="abc7news.com"/> The lawsuit concluded in a settlement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-02705/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-02705-3/summary|title=16-2705 - McComas v. Rohnert Park et al
|access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref>

On November 16, 2018, a civil rights lawsuit was filed<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.334852/gov.uscourts.cand.334852.1.0.pdf|title=Ezekial Flatten v. City of Rohnert Park, Jacy Tatum, Joseph Huffaker, The Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, Steve Hobb|website=www.courtlistener.com|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> against Rohnert Park alleging that Rohnert Park police "conspired to expand the legitimate interdiction mission to one of personal financial gain, and over the years seized thousands of pounds of cannabis and hundreds of thousands of dollars of currency without issuing receipts for the seizures, without making arrests for any crimes, and without any official report of the forfeitures being made".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://reason.com/blog/2018/11/30/lawsuit-california-cops-stole-weed-and-c|title=Lawsuit Alleges California Cops Stole Weed and Cash During Traffic Stops - Hit & Run|last1=Ciaramella|first1=C. J.|date=November 30, 2018|website=Reason.com|language=en|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> [[KQED Inc.|KQED]] published an investigation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kqed.org/news/11673412/highway-robbery-drivers-allege-rohnert-park-police-illegally-seized-cannabis-cash|title='Highway Robbery': Drivers Allege Rohnert Park Police Illegally Seized Cannabis, Cash|date=June 9, 2018|website=KQED|language=en-us|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> in June 2018, quoting complaints by other motorists saying they were "robbed" by the Rohnert Park police, including the officers named in the lawsuit. The police department has since ceased most of its seizure efforts.<ref name=":0" />

In 2020, the city agreed to a $2 Million settlement with the family of Branch Wroth, who died in police custody in 2017, after a $4 Million judgment was vacated on appeal.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/wroth-family-settles-for-2-million-in-rohnert-park-suffocation-death/ | title=Wroth family settles for $2 million in Rohnert Park suffocation death | date=October 6, 2020 }}</ref>