Fresno County officials are moving to allow prosecutors to carry concealed firearms in the wake of a recent daylight stabbing of a senior deputy district attorney. The proposal aims to equip prosecutors with the means to defend themselves while on county property. This initiative is being spearheaded by Supervisor Garry Bredefeld in collaboration with Sheriff John Zanoni and District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp.
The proposal is slated to be presented to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors for consideration in the coming weeks. Supervisor Bredefeld stated that law enforcement personnel, including prosecutors, work to ensure community safety and deserve the ability to protect themselves.
The push for this change follows an incident last Thursday where a senior deputy district attorney was stabbed three times in the back outside Courthouse Park in Downtown Fresno. District Attorney Smittcamp has raised concerns about the current county restrictions, highlighting that she is unable to carry a firearm on county property despite her position.
Smittcamp described the situation as "kind of ridiculous," noting that "people like Mr. Crawford are empowered by the weakness of the criminal justice system." She added that she is the chief law enforcement official in the county and is prohibited from carrying a weapon on county property.
Supervisors Nathan Magsig and Luis Chavez have also voiced support for the proposed ordinance. Chavez referred to the change as "long overdue" and emphasized the need to recognize prosecutors as part of the public safety family, especially given that some have received death threats.
The suspect in the stabbing, identified as 42-year-old Dustin Crawford, faces charges of attempted murder and attempted murder of a public official. Authorities allege that Crawford targeted the prosecutor in retaliation for a prior case where the prosecutor was involved in sending him to prison. Crawford was apprehended a few blocks from the incident using a Taser and a weapon was recovered, according to the sheriff's office. The prosecutor was hospitalized but has since been released.
Supervisor Bredefeld expressed skepticism about the potential for such an incident to influence state lawmakers in Sacramento, describing them as "criminal hugging left-wing radicals who support criminals, not victims." He stressed the importance of societal self-protection.
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The prosecutor and others were reportedly outside Courthouse Park filming a campaign commercial when Crawford allegedly approached, recognized the group, and then targeted the prosecutor for the attack. Deputies responded quickly to the scene and took Crawford into custody. His bail has been set at $1 million.