Flower-Seller Viral Video Police Response Will Be Investigated: Watch

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Santa Rosa's chief of police has responded to outrage over the way police handled an incident caught on video of a man confronting a group of Sonoma County flower vendors selling bouquets on a roadway and then throwing them into a creek.

The video shows a tense confrontation between vendors from Mexico setting up a flower stand along Sonoma Highway in Santa Rosa and a panhandler claiming a nearby spot, trying to drive them away, including dumping the flowers into a creek and nearly fighting with several men who stopped to help.

The Nov. 26 video would have been noteworthy for the confrontation showing a panhandler trying to intimidate the vendor and her son, which struck a nerve amid wider worries about street-vendor safety, anti-immigration campaigns, as well as growing hostility between marginalized groups.

But the way police responded when called on for protection also sparked outrage more widely from Sonoma County residents, leading to the letter from the police chief and investigations into how officers handled the incident.

In a letter, Santa Rosa Police Chief John Cregan said the department and an independent auditor are reviewing the officers’ actions.

"This video has generated significant concern within our community, so I believe it is important to address it directly with you and provide context," Cregan said in the letter.

According to reports by The Press Democrat, the vendor, Karla Luna, 27, arrived shortly before 10:30 a.m. at the central median just east of Farmers Lane. When she and her son stepped onto the median, a man was already there with a cardboard sign asking for “$500 for rent.” He became agitated and told her the space was his, according to the reports. Luna, who speaks little English, tried to keep working but said her son grew frightened as the man’s yelling escalated. A woman driving by stopped to intervene and called 9-1-1, as did several men who, together, confronted the man, who ultimately grabbed up bouquets and threw them over the railing into the creek below.
No one pressed charges.

“Why do you think it’s OK to have your kid in the middle of a road?” an officer can be heard off-camera asking Luna after they arrived.

Cregan said the video was edited and shows only a snippet – less than three minutes - of an investigation that took more than 40 minutes for the officers to complete.

The officers saw a woman and a young child standing on the center median of Highway 12, a busy roadway where vehicles were traveling at high speeds, he added. "They acted quickly to stabilize the situation, address safety concerns, and thoroughly investigate the original call."

But the comment inflamed many watchers who watched the confrontation and police response on video.

"I think people are upset because it sounds like the officer is blaming the victim," a man commented on Facebook amid responses to Cregan's letter blaming and defending the officers.

Another man commented that, "The tone and way he spoke to the woman was inappropriate. It was not serving the community and that was pure escalation rather then asking someone to maybe move."

Cregan said that while initial information shows the officers acted promptly and in line with their responsibilities, the department is completing an internal review, adding that, "I also understand some people are concerned no arrests were made." That will be part of the internal review, he said.

The Professional Standards Team and independent auditor will review the incident, including case documentation, dispatch recordings, and body-worn camera footage. Cregan said he will "sit down with" the Community Advisory Team to examine the incident and "work to address community concerns."