Vigil marks teen's death

<p>The first anniversary of the death of Sebastopol teen Jeremiah Chass will be marked by a vigil in the downtown plaza Wednesday that also will serve as a call for greater police accountability, organizers said.</p><p>Chass, 17, was shot and killed March 12, 2007 in a physical struggle with two Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies after he became delusional and violent at his family’s High School Road home.</p><p>The Analy High School student had become increasingly unstable mentally, and his family was trying to get him to a hospital when they called for help that morning.</p><p>Chass had violently resisted their efforts, at one point unfolding the blade on a Leatherman-like tool and grabbing his younger brother in the family van, according to reports of the incident.</p><p>The brother had squirmed away by the time the deputies fired their weapons, and critics have assailed Chass’ death as a sign of police authorities run amok.</p><p>District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua ruled last week, however, that the deputies, John Misita and James Ryan, were not criminally liable in his death.</p><p>Chass’ family, however, has a pending civil rights suit against the deputies and the sheriff’s department, claiming authorities violated his civil rights, as well as their own.</p><p>Critics object to the practice of local agencies investigating each other when police are involved in fatal incidents and favor independent civilian review.</p><p>Authorities argue that local events involving police use of force receive more scrutiny than in most areas of the state.</p><p>The 6 p.m. anniversary vigil is being sponsored by Advocates for Police Accountability, a group that formed in the wake of Chass’ death.</p>