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DA ‘should blame herself’: Newsom on Selma police shooting

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Governor Gavin Newsom slammed Fresno County District Attorney Lisa A. Smittcamp on Wednesday, following her statement issued Tuesday after the death of a Selma Police officer. 24-year-old Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. was shot multiple times while on duty by a known felon.

In Smittcamp’s statement, she said Governor Newsom and some members of the California legislature have created “a warped system.” Smittcamp specifically highlighted that violent criminals are able to receive time credits in an effort to reduce the state prison population.

The alleged shooter, 23-year-old Nathaniel Dixon of Selma, had been sentenced by a judge to serve five years and four months in prison, according to officials. However, he was credited for time served in the local jail as well as other “accelerated time credits” upon Dixon entering the prison system and was able to have a new release date five months after his original sentence.

Governor Gavin Newsom, and every legislator in the state of California who supports this over-reaching phenomenon they try to disguise as legitimate criminal justice reform, has the blood of this officer on their hands.

Lisa A. Smittcamp, Fresno County District Attorney

On Wednesday morning, during a press conference announcing new gun legislation in Sacramento, Governor Newsom was asked about her statement.

“She should blame herself, I have been listening to this for years from her. She has the prosecutorial discretion. Ask her what she did in terms of prosecuting that case. I am sick and tiered of being lectured by her on public safety, sick and tired.”

“So with all due respect to her statement, she should be ashamed of herself and look in the mirror.”

Governor Gavin Newsom

YourCentralValley.com received further a statement from the Governor’s Office providing additional background on the decisions made by the Fresno County District Attorney in this case.

“The Fresno DA chose not to charge this suspect to the full extent of the law, which would have ensured that he spent decades in prison.”

-Statement from the California’s Governor’s Office

Providing further background, the governor’s office added that the Fresno County DA agreed to a plea agreement for Dixon, with only two charges that carried a sentence of five years and four months.

Governor Newsom was also asked about Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux’s plea to allow the death penalty in the case of those who kill small children to which he simply responded by saying, “I think we should find the perpetrators. I think we need to close that case.”

Fresno County DA Lisa Smittcamp’s response can be found here.