Clark County Public Safety Alliance Co-Founder Ann Donnelly provides context of support for Officer Andrea Mendoza
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
On Thursday (April 18), in Clark County District Court, attorneys presented opening arguments in the case of Vancouver Police Officer Andrea Mendoza, in a trial with implications for public safety. Today Clark County Public Safety Alliance, of which I am a co-founder, issued a statement supporting Officer Mendoza, whose career is in jeopardy because of actions she took a year ago to take an identified shoplifter into custody.
To establish context for the trial, on May 21, 2023, two Vancouver police officers (including Mendoza) arrived at a Vancouver Walmart in response to a report of shoplifting. One of the identified suspects, identified as Elijah Guffey-Prejean, resisted arrest. A several-minute potentially dangerous struggle ensued between the two officers and Guffey-Prejean. The fight ended with no one hurt. Guffey-Prejean was taken into custody, and shoplifted goods were secured. He has since served time in jail.
But it is how that fight ended that now brings Andrea Mendoza to trial on charges of fourth-degree assault. Her actions during the fight, recorded on bodycam footage, were unorthodox but successful. Unable to completely subdue the suspect, Mendoza, an Armed Forces veteran, pulled his pants down and verbally and with unmistakable actions threatened to tase his genitals, which were exposed for just under two minutes before he stopped resisting. Then, at his request, Mendoza pulled his pants up. He thanked her. None of the three combatants was hurt or killed.
Mendoza, a mother and decorated police officer, has been on leave since then. The convicted shoplifter is expected to testify in the trial.
Clark County Public Safety Alliance (facebook.com/ccpublicsafetyalliance) supports Mendoza. She and her partner arrived timely and put their own safety on the line to bring accountability to two identified shoplifters while keeping everyone safe. We hope Mendoza is exonerated.
Ann Donnelly
Clark County Public Safety Alliance
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