Protest announced in San Bernardino against the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department four months after the killing of longtime mountain resident Allen Kephart.

Contact: Carol Kephart, 909-337-5593

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Sept. 16, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- The frustration grows in the Lake Arrowhead community as the Sheriff's Department continues to ignore the concerns of local community residents.  Four months after the tragic killing of Allen Kephart the Sheriff's Department seems more concerned about a lawsuit than justice or even reasonable courtesy.  Allen was killed after he reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign.  Allen did not pull over when an officer used his flashers on a narrow mountain road.  Instead Allen pulled into a gas station in Rim Forest, just a short distance away.

Allen was told to get down on the ground and tased multiple times, there were five spent taser cartridges on the scene where Allen died.

Nearly four months have passed since the incident and community frustration has grown as the Sheriff's Department refuses to consider even some of the simplest of requests.  Community leaders including Allen's pastor met with Sheriffs spokesman Lt. Rick Ells and requested the following:

First, as an act of courtesy and respect please remove the responding officer involved from duty on the mountain and re-assign him.  Stating they harbored no preconceived judgments as to the officer's motives or actions the community leaders made this reasonable request.  -- Request refused.

Second, If Allen's death was within traffic stop guidelines maybe the guidelines should be reviewed, changed and officers re-trained.  -- Request refused.

Third, assign more officers who are mountain residents to build a sense of community and less of an urban force as used in high crime areas.  -- Request considered.

Allen's mother, Carol Kephart cries; "It has been almost four months since our son was killed at the hands of the county deputies and they only send the press a cursory explanation of the events that unfolded and try to insinuate the charges of misconduct against the officer were untrue.  Just saying something is untrue does not make it so.  We knew a white-wash was coming.  That is why we filed the lawsuit, for the sake of truth."

Mr. Kephart continues: "The officer responsible for my son's death remains on active duty in our mountain community, how can the Sheriff's Department be so insensitive?"

The callousness of the Sheriff Department's refusal to reassign the officer, again without an admission of guilt and their release of a cover story press statement quoting from autopsy reports the Kepharts have never seen speak volumes of the mindset of Sheriff's Department.

Are calls for resignations next?  Who is responsible for this unconscionable response?  Why does the Sheriff's Department refuse to have an honest and open discussion of what happened?  Residents need to know -- was this a rogue officer -- a tragic mistake -- or a sad ending to a reasonable procedure?

It has been four month's since the incident.  It is time for the Sheriff's Dept to tell everyone what happened, not in generalizations but clearly and with specifics regarding standing operating procedures.

Community residents and media are invited to join the protest.  For more information about Allen's death or protest questions contact Carol Kephart 909.337-5593