Vandals leave pig head, smear blood outside former home of Chauvin defense witness

Vandals smeared the animal blood on the home in Santa Rosa, California. Dressed in all black, they fled on foot when the homeowners called the police after they tossed the severed pig head at the house.

References to pigs are commonly used by anti-police activists to deride law enforcement officials, and anti-cop graffiti often contains references to such animals.

The damage caused to the home amounts to more than $400, constituting a felony.

The residence is the former home of Barry Brodd, an expert witness in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Brodd, however, no longer lives at the residence, nor does he live in California.

"Mr. Brodd has not lived at the residence for a number of years and is no longer a resident of California," police said. "Because Mr. Brodd no longer lives in the city of Santa Rosa, it appears the victim was falsely targeted."

Brodd, a veteran of the Santa Rosa Police department, is now a private consultant who sometimes serves as an expert witness on police tactics and procedures. During the Chauvin trial, Brodd testified that Chauvin was justified in using the level of force which he used to subdue George Floyd because Floyd was resisting arrest.

Chauvin was captured on video with his knee on Floyd's neck during an arrest on May 25, 2020 in a Minneapolis parking lot. Floyd died as a result of the encounter, with prosecutors arguing that Chauvin killed him by blocking his airways while the defense argues that Floyd died of a drug overdose, noting the large amount of drugs in his system.

Santa Rosa Police Chief Rainer Navarro, noting that Brodd has not been employed with the force since 2004, disavowed Brodd's testimony.

"Mr. Brodd has not been employed by the department since 2004," Navarro said. "His comments do not reflect the values and beliefs of the Santa Rosa Police Department."

A statue at a nearby shopping mall was also vandalized that night with animal blood. The vandals left the words "oink oink" and a picture of a pig on the statue before leaving. The description of the vandals in both cases by witnesses suggests that they were the same group.

The marble statue, which depicts a hand, was created by artist Larry Kirkland and does not appear to have any political significance which would make it a target in the case. According to Kirkland, the hand was meant to represent immigrant agricultural workers who work in Sonoma County, in which Santa Rosa serves as the county seat. The county has a fertile geography and contains many farms.

The trial of Derek Chauvin is ongoing and the jury is expected to deliver a verdict in the coming week.