THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY

By Bob Walsh

 

 

 

Marysville (CA) PD Officer Osmar Rodarte was killed seven months ago while serving a search warrant.  CalOSHA has just dinged the city over his death.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health oversees the California Department of Industrial Relations.  This agency issued a total of $153,000 in penalty citations against the Marysville PD.  These citations included alleged deficiencies in body armor, ineffective training, failure to provide safety equipment (ballistic shields) and failure to arrange proper rescue / medical response.

Both the city and Yuba County, which were part of the joint task force that managed the raid, are very unhappy about the OSHA action and are planning an appeal.

Officer Rodarte was killed by a single shot that went just below his hard-plate body armor.  His assailant was loaded out of his mind on meth at the time of the shooting.  The assailant, Rick David Oliver, did not survive the encounter, which occurred in Olivehurst on Kestrel Court on March 26 of this year.  Oliver's death has been ruled justified.

A total of 20 arrests were made at several different locations during this operation.