Pig's Head, Blood Thrown At House Where Chauvin Witness Lived: PD

SANTA ROSA, CA — The previous residence of a former Santa Rosa police officer who testified in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was the target of vandalism over the weekend, as was a statue in downtown Santa Rosa, police said.

Testifying as a use-of-force expert, Barry Brodd said on the stand that Chauvin — on trial for the May 25, 2020, death of Minneapolis man George Floyd — was "acting with objective reasonableness following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement" as he kneeled on Floyd's neck.

On April 13, shortly after Brodd's testimony in the highly publicized and politicized trial, Santa Rosa police Chief Rainer Navarro issued this statement:

"We are aware of former Santa Rosa Police Officer, Barry Brodd, providing testimony in the Derek Chauvin trial. Mr. Brodd has not been employed by the department since 2004. His comments do not reflect the values and beliefs of the Santa Rosa Police Department."

Now, Santa Rosa police are seeking a group of people who, wearing all black clothing, threw a pig's head at the house where Brodd used to live, then smeared blood on a downtown Santa Rosa statue and left a picture of a pig with the words "Oink Oink" written on it.

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Police were alerted to the vandalism around 3 a.m. Saturday when the current residents of Brodd's former west Santa Rosa home reported they were awakened by a group who threw the pig's head at their front porch and splattered blood on the front of their house, police Lt. Jeneane Kucker said.

The vandals ran away as the victim called the police department, Kucker said.

Officers confirmed there was a decapitated pig's head near the victim's front porch and the house was smeared with what appeared to be animal blood.

Around 45 minutes later, police found out the large statue of a hand in front of Santa Rosa Plaza Mall was vandalized with animal blood, and "Oink Oink" was written in blood on a picture of a pig left near the statue.

"The suspects were seen fleeing the area and matched the descriptions of the suspects who vandalized the house," Kucker said

"It appears the suspects in this vandalism were targeting Mr. Brodd for his testimony," Kucker said. "Mr. Brodd has not lived at the residence for a number of years and is no longer a resident of California. Because Mr. Brodd no longer lives in the city of Santa Rosa, it appears the victim was falsely targeted."

Police asked anyone with information about the vandalism — which caused more than $400 damage, making it a felony — to contact SRPD through its online Tip Line, www.srcity.org/CrimeTips.