7/22/2023 BCFAC News — Sacramento, CA — Oroville Police OFFICER ROBERT SASEK admitted to dumping MS. DANA JAMES at the Neal Road Landfill in the middle of the night to an investigator hired by Oroville Police Department, discovery documents reveal.
Friday, an amended complaint was filed in Sacramento Federal Court adding former Oroville Police Department OFFICER ISAAC HERRERA as a DEFENDANT in the DANA MARIE JAMES vs the CITY OF OROVILLE, OFFICER ROBERT SASEK, SERGEANT ALI KHAN and DOES 1-9 federal civil rights lawsuit.
The complaint alleges while on duty for the Oroville Police Department, OFFICER ROBERT SASEK drove MS. DANA JAMES 15.5 miles in his patrol vehicle from Oroville to Neal Road Landfill on September 1, 2022, where he dumped MS. DANA JAMES out in the dark with no shoes, water, or flashlight after discussing doing so with OFFICER ISAAC HERRERA and SERGEANT ALI KHAN after OFFICER ISAAC HERRERA suggested taking her there.
The complaint alleges after OFFICER ROBERT SASEK illegally dumped MS. DANA JAMES at the Neal Road Landfill, MS. DANA JAMES was struck by a vehicle and thrown down an embankment where she remained for 10 hours.
The complaint describes how MS. DANA JAMES was finally able to crawl up to the road where an employee of nearby Franklin Construction spotted her and rendered aid.
The complaint describes how MS. DANA JAMES was hospitalized with catastrophic injuries and in ICU for 5 days then released from the hospital after 35 days.
In DEFENDANTS' response to this lawsuit filed on 3/15/2023, DEFENDANTS unequivocally denied MS. DANA JAMES' claim OFFICER ROBERT SASEK drove MS. DANA JAMES to the Neal Road Recycling and Waste Facility and directed her to exit the vehicle.
After Oroville Police Department complied with Discovery requests it was learned OFFICER ROBERT SASEK admitted to dumping MS. DANA JAMES at the Neal Road Landfill to an investigator hired by Oroville Police Department.
DISCOVERY received from Oroville Police Department after the original complaint was filed revealed OFFICER ROBERT SASEK did not operate his body-worn camera and implicates OFFICER ROBERT SASEK turned off GPS on his vehicle and cell phone before transporting MS. DANA JAMES to Neal Road Landfill.
EXCERPTS FROM THE AMENDED COMPLAINT
69. OFFICER SASEK was on duty and in a marked patrol vehicle at the time of this incident. It is believed he was wearing a body-worn camera while transporting Ms. James. However, OFFICER SASEK did not activate his body-worn camera while transporting Ms. James or dropping her off on Neal Road.
70. Additionally, the patrol vehicle was equipped with GPS/AVL tracking capabilities which would show the officer's locations, and confirm that he drove to Neal Road, as well as an in-car camera system, RMS device and personal cell phone that would also show his locations during the relevant time periods. OFFICER SASEK turned off the vehicle's GPS tracking capabilities so he could not be monitored while he discarded Ms. James at the dump.
71. OFFICER SASEK did not notify the radio dispatcher of his departure time and beginning mileage when transporting Ms. James, a female arrestee.
72. The CTTY of OROVILLE has failed to enact a policy that requires officers to complete this simple task prior to transporting female arrestees.
73. OFFICER SASEK also turned off his cell phone so that any GPS data that would record and track his movements could not be obtained or reviewed after abandoning Ms. James.
74. After abandoning Ms. James on Neal Road at approximately midnight, OFFICER SASEK returned to his office the following day and completed his arrest report for his arrest of Ms. James at the Oroville Home Depot and submitted it to the Butte County District Attorney for prosecution.
75. OFFICER SASEK did not inform the District Attorney that he had returned to the hospital and placed Ms. James back into his patrol vehicle or that he had dumped and abandoned Ms. James on Neal Road.
76. Ms. James submitted a Citizen's Complaint after her release from Enloe Medical Center. OFFICER SASEK was interviewed by an investigator hired by the City of Oroville to conduct an Internal Affairs investigation.
77. OFFICER SASEK admitted that he drove Ms. James to Neal Road and abandoned her without shoes, a cell phone or water and that he knew that she required urgent medical care at the time of her arrest. OFFICER SASEK REMAINS employed by the CITY OF OROVILLE.
78. OFFICER HERRERA was also interviewed by the INTERNAL AFFAIRS Investigator and admitted that he made the statement that OFFICER SASEK should take her out to Neal Road. OFFICER HERRERA has since been terminated by the CITY OF OROVILLE.
