Use of force, racial profiling in Stanislaus County probed

Stanislaus County law enforcement agencies face calls for change as incidents lead to concerns over police use of force and racial profiling.

This list of stories illustrates incidents like Modesto police stopping Black residents at triple their population rate, accusations of excessive force during a Patterson traffic stop, and persistent disparities in use-of-force incidents against Black community members. Public backlash sparked demands for a police review board in Patterson, echoing the formation of Modesto’s Community Police Review Board after local cases.

Panels led by law enforcement and NAACP leaders, as well as raw data from RIPA reporting, highlight both the struggles and efforts to rebuild trust. The articles also reveal gaps in accountability and community engagement that residents and advocates urge agencies to address.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

Modesto police Officer Jim Reeves tickets a motorist who was speeding on Scenic Drive near Coffee Road in Modesto on Friday morning. By Joan Barnett Lee

NO. 1: MODESTO POLICE KEEP RACIAL DATA FOR STOPS. BUT THEY COULDN’T USE OR EXPLAIN THE NUMBERS

“When I’ve looked at the data ... it’s not really in a very usable format.” | Published October 4, 2024 | Read Full Story by Trevor Morgan

NO. 2: MODESTO POLICE TRIPLED TRAFFIC STOPS, LATEST DATA SHOWS. WHO IS BEING PULLED OVER AND WHY?

Data shows officers pointed a firearm at a person 87 times in 2023. | Published January 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Julietta Bisharyan

Modesto Police Chief Brandon Gillespie speaks on law enforcement “use of force” during a NAACP forum at the King-Kennedy Center in Modesto, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. By Andy Alfaro

NO. 3: STANISLAUS LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS, NAACP SIT WITH BLACK COMMUNITY TO DISCUSS USE OF FORCE

Modesto police chief: “Disparities absolutely do exist.” | Published February 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Trevor Morgan Julietta Bisharyan

Police car lights in night time, crime scene, night patrolling the city. Abstract blurry image. Photo by Getty Images This is a stock image downloaded from Getty Images. It is a Royalty Free image.

NO. 4: VIDEO DURING TRAFFIC STOP RESULTS IN BACKLASH. STANISLAUS SHERIFF’S OFFICE COMMENTS

The full body camera footage is promised to be released. | Published April 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Trevor Morgan

In this still taken from body-camera footage, a sheriff’s deputy with Patterson Police Services prepares to fire his Taser after a driver pulled over for an alleged red-light violation refused to get out of his vehicle.

NO. 5: BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE RELEASED OF STANISLAUS DEPUTY’S USE OF FORCE DURING TRAFFIC STOP

The viral traffic stop in Patterson prompted backlash over allegations of excessive force. | Published April 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Trevor Morgan

This file photo shows Patterson City Hall in Patterson, Calif. on Oct. 6, 2015. By Jeff Jardine

NO. 6: PUBLIC SPEAKS OUT ON USE OF FORCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AFTER VIRAL VIDEO IN PATTERSON

Police released body camera footage earlier this month. | Published April 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Trevor Morgan

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.