VALLEJO POLICE: 2 DEAD IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE: VALLEJO (AP) — Vallejo police say a man and woman found dead inside an apartment were fatally shot in an apparent murder-suicide.
Lt. Jim O'Connell says officers went to the apartment Sunday morning after family members asked police to check on the woman who lived there because they had not heard from her for several days.
Officials say while officers were responding, police received reports from people who reported hearing a gunshot at the apartment. Inside they found the bodies of a man and woman in their early 50s. Their identities have not been released.
INMATE FOUND DEAD IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA JAIL: SAN RAFAEL (AP) — Authorities say an investigation is under way following the death of a 29-year-old inmate at a jail in Northern California.
Marin County Sheriff's Lt. Craig Scardina said Saturday that the inmate was pronounced dead after he was found unresponsive inside his jail cell on Friday.
Scardina says CPR attempts by Marin County jail personnel and paramedics from the San Rafael Fire Department failed to revive the inmate whose name has not yet been released.
Scardina says the case is being investigated by the Novato Police Department and the Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner as part of its protocol when a death occurs while an inmate is in custody.
FIRE DAMAGES SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL: SAN JOSE (AP) — Firefighters are investigating a fire that charred a building at San Jose's Independence High School.
Fire Capt. Reggie Williams said the blaze Sunday caused significant damage. Flames were knocked down in less than an hour.
Williams said sprinklers helped control the fire, which was sparked outside what he described as a common or multiuse building.
Williams said Independence High School has been the scene of several small fires in recent years.
Last summer, a small fire broke out by a side door of the theater building. Investigators suspected that blaze was the work of arsonists. It was doused by sprinklers by the time firefighters arrived. No one was injured.
PITTSBURG STUN GUN CASE DAMAGES AWARD UPHELD: PITTSBURG (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld $250,000 in damages to a San Francisco Bay area man who was shot with a stun gun during a confrontation with police five years ago.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a judge's ruling, including an additional award of nearly $350,000 in attorneys' fees.
A jury found that Pittsburg officers had used excessive force on Frederick Jackson after an angry and profane exchange outside a neighbor's home in 2008. Jurors also said that one officer, Gerald Lombardi, had retaliated against Jackson for exercising his right of free speech.
Jackson was arrested in the incident but was not prosecuted.
PURPLE HEART LEFT AS TRIBUTE TO FALLEN OFFICERS: SANTA CRUZ (AP) — A Purple Heart medal was found pinned to a teddy bear as an anonymous tribute to two Santa Cruz officers who were killed in the line of duty.
Deputy Chief Steve Clark says an unknown soldier left the gift Thursday at the memorial for the officers.
The Contra Costa Times reports an anonymous message said the teddy bear reflects the love of community and the Purple Heart is for sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty.
"I know you will understand," the note read.
Clark said the medal will be kept for the officers' families.
Detective Sgt. Loran "Butch" Baker and Officer Elizabeth Butler were shot and killed Tuesday while trying to interview Jeremy Goulet, regarding a misdemeanor sexual assault. Goulet was later killed in a shootout with police.
