by Bob Walsh
San Joaquin County, CA. is like most small to medium-size counties (600,000 population) in the formerly great state of California in that the Sheriff is also the Coroner. Under this system the medical examiner determines the CAUSE of death (i. e. gunshot wound to the head) and the Coroner (Sheriff) determines the NATURE of the death (i. e. homicide, suicide, accidental, undetermined).
Until recently that resulted in some serious pissing contests between the two because the former chief medical examiner believed the sheriff was dicking with things, especially with officer involved shootings. This resulted in the chief medical examiner saying UP YOURS and leaving and was in some degree responsible for the then sheriff, Steve Moore, losing his re-election bid. It also resulted in the county board of supervisors changing the administrative structure of the office, making an independent medical examiner.
The county has hired Dr. Michael Hunter, the chief medical examiner of San Francisco, to run the new Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in San Joaquin County. The new department is supposed to be up and operational by July 1 of next year.
Since late 2017, when both of the county forensic pathologists resigned in frustration over Sheriff Moore's alleged interference, the county has been contracting out it's death investigations.
Interestingly, Dr. Hunter is also a peace officer in CA as well as a member of the National Association of Medical Examiners.
1 comment:
I was standing at a scene where a Mexican National had brought a knife to a gun fight in North Harris County. Two of our folks had ventilated him. A guy from the ME's office walked up, leaned in close. He stood up, looked around and said, "He's DRT."
Here it comes.
Dead Right There.
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