Santa Rosa police say a bizarre crime in the area is related to the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Vandals left a pig's head on the front porch and blood was smeared on the house in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco, that once belonged to Barry Brodd, a retired police officer who was on the stand in the George Floyd murder trial last week, according to a police statement Saturday.
“It appears the suspects in this vandalism were targeting Mr. Brodd for his testimony,” the Santa Rosa Police Department said. “Mr. Brodd has not lived at the residence for a number of years and is no longer a resident of California.”
The current homeowners called dispatchers around 3 a.m. Saturday after they were awakened by a group of vandals, police said.
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The vandals were all dressed in black and ran away as the victim called the police. No arrests have been announced.
“Because Mr. Brodd no longer lives in the city of Santa Rosa, it appears the victim was falsely targeted,” the statement said.
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Brodd, a former Santa Rosa police officer, testified at the murder trial that he believes Chauvin's restraint of Floyd was in keeping with proper police practice.
In a statement released after Brodd’s testimony, Santa Rosa Police Chief Rainer Navarro distanced himself from his department’s former officer.
“We are aware of former Santa Rosa Police Officer, Barry Brodd, providing testimony in the Derek Chauvin trial," Navarro’s statement said. “His comments do not reflect the values and beliefs of the Santa Rosa Police Department."
