LAKE COUNTY — Four Lake County Sheriff”s officers who trained a former deputy said they didn”t teach him to racially profile in a video posted Thursday on the department”s Web site.
Former LCSO Deputy Brian Lande claimed in a Nov. 12 KGO-TV ABC report that racial profiling was part of his training and discrimination was commonplace.
“What I was being told here is that pretty much under any circumstance if I see Mexicans I should stop them,” Lande said in the TV interview.
Sgt. Brian Martin, Detective Lyle Thomas, Sgt. Chris Chwialkowski and Detective Thomas Andrews challenged Lande”s allegations in the department”s video.
“Brian Lande, I would like you to tell me and tell everyone else when did I tell you to do that? When did I tell you to stop someone based on the color of their skin?” Martin said. “I”m confident that you won”t be able to because it didn”t happen.”
“I was also one of Brian”s training officers and as you can see, I”m also a member of the Pomo Nation,” Thomas said. “I take great offense to the comment that Brian had made and I challenge Brian to come to me, professional to professional, and tell me when in his training did I or any other of his training officers train him, taught him to seek out certain individuals in our community.”
Andrews said he spoke with Lande about the allegations.
“Brian told me that he told his interviewer that it was not me, Thomas Andrews, who taught him racial profiling,” Andrews said. “It was also not Sgt. Martin that taught him racial profiling and it was not Deputy Thomas who taught him racial profiling. Brian Lande did not elaborate beyond that.”
Lande could not be reached for comment before press time.
Sheriff Rod Mitchell said the four officers interviewed were Lande”s only training officers at the department.
“Brian Lande”s comments made a false statement about the nature of training here that not only had a potential impact on the members of the community, it had significant impact on the officers who did his training,” Mitchell said.
People can watch the video posted at www.lakesheriff.com.
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
