Exclusive: Bench warrant issued for Vacaville activist after court no-show
(Solano NewsNet file photo)
A bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of an activist who was detained and charged in connection with an alleged robbery during an anti-police rally in Vacaville last year, Solano NewsNet has learned.
The arrest warrant was issued by a Solano County judge after Jaquan Edwards-Harrison of Oakland failed to appear for a court hearing after being charged with an alleged robbery during a September protest in front of Vacaville’s City Hall.
Edwards-Harrison was arrested during that protest along with two other activists, including rally organizer Dalauna Knox with the grassroots group Voices of VV. They were cited and released after posting bail shortly after their arrests.
Nearly three months later, Solano County prosecutors decided to file formal charges against Edwards-Harrison and Knox. Prosecutors allege Edwards-Harrison was involved in the theft of an item during the rally, and Knox was an accessory to the crime who purportedly tried to help Edwards-Harrison escape arrest and prosecution, according to court documents reviewed by Solano NewsNet.
The case against both individuals is currently pending in court. In January, Knox filed a waiver with the court that allows routine matters to be heard in the case without her physical presence.
But Edwards-Harrison was expected to show up at a hearing held in mid-January. When he didn’t, a judge signed off on a bench warrant for his arrest. The warrant says Edwards-Harrison is ineligible for bail if he is detained.
The same week the arrest warrant was signed, several individuals vandalized the Vacaville Police Department’s headquarters and nearby City Hall during a rally organized by Voices of VV.
No arrests have been made in connection with that crime spree, and the damage spree appeared unrelated to the cases against Edwards-Harrison and Knox. But the incident put the Vacaville Police Department on edge, and the agency organized several surveillance operations to keep a closer watch on rallies and other events organized by Voices of VV.
The following week, Knox was one of three activists arrested at the end of a homeless outreach event. Though the event itself was non-violent, officers assigned to a surveillance team began pulling over vehicles for minor traffic infractions.
One traffic stop drew the ire of Knox and other protesters who quickly assembled around responding officers. A request for a mobile force team was placed after one officer said he viewed the group’s actions to be hostile, according to dispatches reviewed by Solano NewsNet.
While arresting the protesters, a commander ordered police to confiscate the cellphones of activists who were detained. In a recent social media post, Knox said her phone still has not been returned, which has locked her out of at least one social media account used by Voices of VV to promote their rallies.
Following her arrest in that case, Knox said the group’s weekly anti-police rallies would be put on hold for an indefinite amount of time. The hiatus lasted about a week; the group resumed its rallies last Sunday.
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