Thank goodness, it looks like Santa Clara County Sheriff
’s Deputy Ron Breuss and Live Oak High School senior Christopher
Smith are on the road to an out-of-court resolution.
Thank goodness, it looks like Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Breuss and Live Oak High School senior Christopher Smith are on the road to an out-of-court resolution.
Breuss is the grim-reaper costumed deputy who arrested Smith, a special education student, after he tossed a racquet ball at him during the school’s anti-drunk driving campaign called Every 15 Minutes.
Smith admitted that he tossed the racquet ball at the grim reaper figure, and apologized. He said later that he thought the costumed figure was his physical education teacher Glen Webb.
But the apology wasn’t enough for Bruess. He insisted on arresting Smith, including a trip to the police station in the back of a police car. Smith was fingerprinted and photographed before he was released to his father.
Clearly, the arrest for simple battery was an overreaction to the impetuous racquetball toss that caught Bruess on the shoulder.
Because both parties have agreed to participate in the Alternative Dispute Resolution program to meet face-to-face with a neutral third party and come to a resolution, it’s likely that no charges will be pursued in this case.
And that’s how it should be. The racquet ball toss, while inadvisable, does not rise to the standard of battery, does not merit a blemish on 18-year-old Smith’s record, and should not consume the time and energy of the Morgan Hill police, the county sheriff’s department or our overburdened court system.
Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming commended Breuss for participating in the dispute resolution program.
We think Smith deserves similar recognition, and further kudos for withdrawing a complaint he had filed against Breuss.
It’s time to put the entire silly racquet ball incident behind us, and we’re hoping that the Alternative Dispute Resolution program will help everyone do just that – very quickly.
