Antioch police text scandal at center of Friday court hearing
MARTINEZ -- Nine Antioch police officers involved in a text message scandal were ordered to testify by a judge on Friday afternoon.
Their attorneys spent much of the day fighting the subpoenas.
Out of the nine Antioch officers subpoenaed, Contra Costa County Superior Court judge David Goldstein only granted the request made by Antioch police chief Steve Ford to not testify. Judge Goldstein said that was because Chief Ford took over the department one year after the texts at the heart of the scandal were exchanged.
Chief Ford also announced his resignation earlier this week.
"I want justice to be served," said Shirelle Cobbs. "(I want) them to go to jail." Her son, Trent Allen, was a subject in some the alleged racist text messages.
Investigators said officers joked about kicking Allen in the head. Investigators also said in a report some officers used the N-word and compared Black people to gorillas and monkeys.
"(The officer) said he kicked his head like a field goal and he meant that because I looked it up. He was a professional soccer player in college. He meant that. He said his foot hurt. That's how hard he kicked my son in his head," Cobbs said.
Her son and three others are facing murder and attempted murder charges in a drive-by shooting case from 2021.
Legal experts said that, if the officers involved in the case are found to be racist and acted with racial bias in the case, the murder charges will likely be dropped.
"They've already falsified police reports and everything else. Yes, (my son's) case should be dismissed because these officers were on his case," Cobbs said.
Many people were turned away from the packed courtroom in Martinez because there weren't enough seats.
Everyone wanted to hear from the officers but the judge only heard from an expert witness late in the afternoon. The judge said the hearing will continue Aug. 25.
