Taser Death Charges Against S.M. Co Deputies To Be Decided Friday

REDWOOD CITY, CA -- San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe will announce on Friday whether five San Mateo County sheriff's deputies will face criminal charges in the death of Chinedu Okobi, Wagstaffe's office said Thursday.

Okobi, 36, died after a violent encounter with San Mateo County sheriff's deputies in Millbrae on Oct. 3, when at least one deputy used a Taser stun gun. The sheriff's office said that Okobi had assaulted the deputies. But Okobi's sister, Ebele Okobi, accused the sheriff's office of lying after viewing video of the incident, saying that Okobi was calmly walking down the street when he was accosted and then attacked by the deputies.

Wagstaffe has committed to releasing the video once his investigation is complete. He was originally expected to finish his inquiry in December, but hired a consultant, former San Jose police sergeant Jeff Martin, to assist in the investigation.

Wagstaffe's office announced Thursday afternoon that he will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. on Friday at his office in Redwood City to announce the results of the investigation.

The five deputies involved have been previously identified as John DeMartini, Alyssa Lorenzatti, Joshua Wang, Bryan Watt and Sgt. David Weidner. Okobi was one of four deaths involving law enforcement in San Mateo County last year. Wagstaffe has previously declined to charge the officers in two of the deaths, Warren Ragudo in Daly City and Ramzi Saad in Redwood City.

Regardless of the outcome, activists seeking to hold the deputies accountable have planned a rally at 6 p.m. Friday at 1400 El Camino Real in Millbrae, the site where Okobi died.

--Bay City News