Vallejo activist arrested during encampment sweep files claim against city

VALLEJO — A longtime housing activist filed a claim against the city of Vallejo on Monday alleging that he was denied medical treatment and suffered a heart attack when he was arrested during an encampment sweep in July.

Joey Carrizales, 63, a member of the city’s Housing and Community Development Commission, was arrested on July 31, 2023, when he protested the city towing vehicles near the Smart and Final grocery store at 3901 Sonoma Blvd. The city towed an RV and trailer, displacing a family with young children.

Carrizales’ claim, which was submitted Monday by Vallejo attorney Melissa Nold, alleges that he was denied emergency medical attention for hours by Vallejo police Officer Vishvdeep Giri while he complained of chest pain. It alleges that Giri left Carrizales in a hot car, did not give him water, and instead of taking him to a hospital nearby drove him to the jail in Fairfield, where a nurse directed him back to the hospital.

In an interview with the Vallejo Sun, Carrizales said that he felt like he had to file the claim because he didn’t want Vallejo police to feel emboldened to behave as they did that day in the future. “I don't want them to feel like, if they can do it to me they can get away with it,” Carrizales siad.

“And what they did was wrong,” Carrizales said. “I'm happy that it's finally gonna get to the next level."

The city had placed eviction notices on RVs and campers parked near the Smart and Final days before tow trucks arrived to tow an RV and a fifth wheel trailer that were parked beside the store. As the tow truck drivers began hooking up their two caravans, Vanessa Gomez and her mother Gloria Vialau frantically pulled out clothing and other items for Gomez’s four young children.

When the first tow truck backed up to tow an SUV that Christine Hoffman lives in, Carrizales stood between the SUV and the tow truck, blocking the way. Hoffman is 65 years old and needs a walker to get around. She said she has been able to manage at the small encampment because she has support form the small community there.

When Carrizales refused to move, police handcuffed him and put him in the back of a patrol car to take him to jail. According to his claim, when he was handcuffed, Carrizales told Giri that he recently had open heart surgery and the tight handcuffs were causing him chest pain and putting tension on his fresh surgical scar.

Despite that, Gili put Carrizales into a patrol car and left him there. The window was only slightly cracked and the air conditioner was not on, according to the claim. Carrizales was sweating and his mouth was dry and he called out for assistance, but the officers didn’t help him, according to the claim.

The officers left him there for 20 minutes. When Giri returned, Carrizales again requested medical assistance, but instead of taking him to one of two hospitals within a few blocks of that location, Giri took Carrizales to the Vallejo police station. Carrizales was again left in the car while Giri retrieved another detainee to transport to the jail in Fairfield.

The claim alleges that during that time, Giri searched Carrizales twice, at one point violently digging his fingers into the center of Carrizales’s open heart surgery wound. 

Once Giri took Carrizales to the jail, a nurse at the jail “took one look at Mr. Carrizales and directed officer Giri to take him to the emergency room immediately,” the claim states. 

Carrizales was taken to NorthBay Hospital, where a doctor informed him he had suffered a heart attack. He spent the next three days in the hospital, according to his claim.

Carrizales is seeking damages for alleged assault, battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress and is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000. Vallejo police spokesperson Sgt. Rashad Hollis said the department cannot comment on claims or pending litigation.

Gretchen Zimmermann and Ryan Geller contributed to this report.