Contact: Carol Kephart, 909-337-5593; Jeff White, 909-436-0032

TWIN PEAKS, Calif., Sept. 2, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- Protest announced in Twin Peaks against the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department four months after the killing of longtime mountain resident Allen Kephart.

Demonstration Details

When: Saturday, Sept. 3, 9:15 a.m.

Where: Twin Peaks Senior Center,
675 Grandview Rd,
Twin Peaks, CA, 92391

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.

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 Sheriff 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. This request was refused.

Second, If Allen's death was within traffic stop guidelines maybe the guidelines should be reviewed, changed and officers re-trained.  This request was 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.  This request has been 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 we still have no autopsy report, the officer responsible remains on active duty in our mountain community."

The callousness of the Sheriff Department's refusal to reassign the officer, again without an admission of guilt, and the failure to release her son's autopsy report 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?

Some have complained the protest assumes officer malfeasance but it just isn't true.  It has been four month's since the incident.  It is time for the Sheriff's Department to tell everyone what happened.

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.