Richmond Police Officers Association

03/04/2026

02/28/2026

As we stated from day one, this is a justified shooting. Claudia Jimenez and Sue Wilson owe both officers a formal apology. City manager Curl should be ashamed of her actions for failing to return the officers to work.

-RPOA

A report on a 2025 fatal use-of-force incident involving Richmond Police has been released by the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office.

02/12/2026

10 years ago our police family and the family of our fallen brother suffered a loss.

Officer Augustine "Gus" Vegas was 58 yrs. old and a 15 year veteran of our police department. Officer Vegas was an accomplished and well respected member of our organization. He was a detective in the Property Crimes Unit, Homicide Unit and recently, he was assigned to the Regulatory Unit.

Officer Vegas was not only a hard-worker, he was a man with a huge heart and a family man. Besides serving the Richmond community, "Gus" and his wife were involved in their community of Vallejo as well. The couple started Foster Greatness - a nonprofit organization dedicated to provide the needs of children in foster care.

Officer Vegas left behind his wife of 22 years, his 10 children and 20 grandchildren.

Gus and his family received overwhelming community support both in Richmond and Vallejo.

02/07/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement from Ben Therriault, President, Richmond Police Officers Association (RPOA)

The Richmond Police Officers Association acknowledges today’s release by the California Department of Justice identifying the individual involved in the Interstate 80 officer-involved shooting from two weeks ago.

Based on the facts known and the totality of the circumstances, the RPOA maintains that Det. Brandon Hodges acted lawfully and was fully justified in defending himself and others during a rapidly evolving and dangerous encounter. Detective Hodges is a highly decorated, five-time Officer of the Year whose career reflects professionalism, sound judgment, and an unwavering commitment to public safety.

Officer-involved incidents are intensely scrutinized, as they should be. We remain confident that the ongoing independent review will continue to confirm what the evidence already shows: Detective Hodges’ actions were reasonable, necessary, and consistent with both the law and his training.

The RPOA will continue to stand firmly behind Detective Hodges and all Richmond officers who place themselves in harm’s way to protect our community. We ask the public to allow the investigative process to proceed based on facts and evidence, not speculation, and we expect the City of Richmond to fully support its officers throughout this process.

Ben Therriault
President, Richmond Police Officers Association

01/23/2026

The Richmond Police Officers Association is aware of today’s officer-involved shooting on Interstate 80. An officer stopped to assist a vehicle involved in a traffic collision and, during that encounter, was forced to protect himself and the public. Our thoughts are with the involved officer. The incident is under active investigation by the Department of Justice, and we ask the community to allow that process to proceed based on facts and evidence. The RPOA will continue to support our officers while respecting the integrity of the investigative process.

12/29/2025

In memory of Richmond Police Officers Leonard Garcia and David Haynes, 12/28/92. Your sacrifice is not forgotten. Those of us who walk in your footsteps salute you.

11/25/2025

Please take a moment to remember Richmond Police Officer Kaliah Ashante Harper.

Officer Harper was killed on November 24, 2006 by her estranged boyfriend in the City of Fairfield. Kaliah was only 28 years old.
SUPPORT “KALIAH’S HEART” - THE HEART OF A HELPER www.kaliahsheart.org

Officer Harper was a great addition to our RPD family, with hopes, dreams and aspirations in her career. Officer Harper embodied the community policing model when she joined RPD. After a short stint in patrol, she was quickly transferred to the department's Special Investigations Services Unit, due to her tenacity and good investigative skills.

Since her passing, there have been several efforts to memorialize Kaliah’s life.

The Richmond Police Officers Association spearheaded an effort to dedicate a wing of the West County Justice Center to Officer Harper to serve survivors of domestic violence.

The Richmond Guardians of Justice dedicated a tree in Marina Bay to Officer Harper where the remembrance ceremony was located, and established a scholarship in her memory.

Kaliah’s younger sister, Kadija, wanted to continue those efforts by establishing a non profit to help the Richmond community continue her sister’s passion. She started
“Kaliah’s Heart” because her sister inspired her to help others.
At a recent remembrance ceremony, each person was given a rose to pass on to another person who needed one, or even a stranger. “It’s important for us to give people their flowers while they are here, and show love” Kadija said.
You can learn more about Kaliah’s heart and how to volunteer or donate by visiting
www.kaliahsheart.org or emailing [email protected]
Please share and spread the word.

10/12/2025

It has been 17 years since we lost one of Richmond’s beloved K-9 Officer’s, Officer Bradley Moody (K27). Brad was only 29 yrs old.
Officer B. Moody and his canine partner Rico were responding to an emergency call for help from another Richmond police officer on October 4, 2008. While driving to the scene, Brad lost control of his patrol car on Marina Bay Parkway. Brad fought for his life for the next three days until he succumbed to his injuries on October 7, 2008.

Officer B. Moody left behind his beloved wife, Susan and his daughters, Madison and Emma; his parents James and Elizabeth; his sister Jennifer, brother James and sister-in-law Michelle; niece Jaiden and Nephew Tanner.

Officer B. Moody began his career with the Richmond Police Department on February 26, 2001. He was selected to be a canine officer early in his career. He was also a member of the RPD SWAT team. Officer B. Moody was a hard working and effective police officer. He was well known and respected in the community. Officer B. Moody was an organ donor. His organs have been donated so that others may have a second chance in life.

Officer B. Moody, thank you for your service and how you still continue to touch the lives of others. Rest In Peace, Brad.

10/05/2025

Honoring Officer Jeffrey “Jeff” Galaviz
💙

On October 4, 2014, the Richmond Police Department lost one of our own — Officer Jeffrey “Jeff” Galaviz — after his courageous battle with cancer. Jeff was only 34 years old, taken far too soon from his family, friends, and this department.

Jeff is lovingly remembered by his wife Melinda, and his children, Cruz and Amaya, who were just three years and twenty months old at the time of his passing.

Before entering law enforcement, Jeff proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corps. He later began his policing career with the Oakland Police Department before joining the Richmond Police Department, where he quickly earned the respect and admiration of his peers and the community he served.

Jeff was more than an officer — he was a funny, caring, and devoted family man of great integrity. His colleagues remember him as a caring and dedicated police officer who always put others before himself. During his fight with cancer, the Richmond Police family came together — donating leave time, raising funds, and standing by Jeff and his loved ones every step of the way.

Officer Galaviz, thank you for your service, your friendship, and your commitment to our community. You will always be remembered for your strength, your heart, and the impact you made on all of us.

Rest easy, Jeff. We’ll take it from here.
💙

10/04/2025

Honoring Officer Jonathan “Jon” Platzner 💙

The Richmond Police Officers Association extends our deepest gratitude to everyone who has stood beside the Platzner family during this heartbreaking time — from those who attended Jon’s Celebration of Life, to those who have donated, shared words of comfort, or simply kept his family in your thoughts.

Officer Platzner was a dedicated public servant, a loving husband, and a proud father of three. His sudden passing while off duty has left an immeasurable loss within our department and our community. Jon served Richmond with integrity, compassion, and courage — and we honor his memory by standing together for his family.

Our Fund-A-Hero campaign is helping cover funeral costs and provide immediate support to his wife, Mishell, and their daughters as they navigate this painful transition. We are halfway to our goal of $40,000, and every share, every contribution, makes a difference.

👉 Please share the link below and help us reach our goal for the Platzner family:
https://porac.org/fundraiser/officer-platzner/

From the entire RPOA family — thank you for showing what community truly means. 💙

09/16/2025

🚨 RPOA Rally Today – Stand With Richmond Police 🚨

The Richmond Police Officers Association (RPOA), joined by families, friends, and community members, will rally TODAY, Tuesday, Sept. 16th, from 4:00–8:00 PM at Richmond City Hall. Speaking times will be held inside Council Chambers at 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM.

We are coming together to shine a light on:
➡️ The City’s worsening staffing crisis – With historic lows in staffing, RPD officers are being forced into unsustainable overtime and reactive policing. This leaves neighborhoods less safe and officers burned out.
➡️ Problematic political actions – City leaders continue to criticize officers publicly and are now pushing Item O-3, which would strip communications from RPD and hand it to politicians, while forcing the release of raw body-worn camera footage without context. This is not transparency—it’s politics that put officers and their families at risk.
➡️ Damaging council rhetoric – Recent public comments by Councilmembers Sue Wilson and Claudia Jimenez have cast blame on RPD before investigations are complete. These remarks mislead the public, harm trust, and demoralize the officers who protect Richmond.
➡️ Failure to return cleared officers to duty – Officers Nicholas Remick and Colton Stocking, cleared by department psychologists and in good standing, remain sidelined for political reasons. This sends a chilling message: even when you do your job right, City Hall may sacrifice you for appearances.

👉 Richmond deserves a fully staffed, supported, and respected police department. Our officers want to serve this city safely, fairly, and effectively—but they cannot do it under constant attack and political interference.

📢 Join us tonight. Stand with Richmond officers. Stand for public safety.