Fresno mulls letting prosecutors carry concealed firearms after stabbing rocks California

Fresno County officials are pushing to let prosecutors carry concealed firearms after a shocking daylight stabbing of a senior deputy district attorney last week.

Supervisor Garry Bredefeld is working with Sheriff John Zanoni and DA Lisa Smittcamp on an ordinance allowing them to be armed on county property, according to Your Central Valley.

The proposal is expected to go before the Fresno County Board of Supervisors in the coming weeks.

“All of our law enforcement — whether they’re prosecutors, the sheriffs or the police officers — get up and work to make this community safe,” Bredefeld said. “The least we can do is make sure they have the means to protect themselves.”

The push comes after a senior deputy district attorney was stabbed three times in the back Thursday while outside Courthouse Park in Downtown Fresno.

Smittcamp questioned the county’s current restrictions Friday, noting that she is prohibited from carrying a firearm on county property despite her position.

“I am the chief law enforcement official in the county of Fresno … if I want to carry a weapon on county property I can’t under a current ordinance,” Smittcamp said. “Kind of ridiculous … people like Mr. Crawford are empowered by the weakness of the criminal justice system.”

Supervisors Nathan Magsig and Luis Chavez also backed the proposed change, according to the outlet, with Chavez calling it “long overdue.”

“I know for a fact that prosecutors have received death threats,” Chavez said. “We need to start recognizing our prosecutors as part of our public safety family.”

Magsig said the change would require the county to work with state officials. Bredefeld said he was not optimistic the attack would change lawmakers’ attitudes in Sacramento.

“It will not wake up the legislature in Sacramento. There are a bunch of criminal hugging left-wing radicals who support criminals, not victims,” Bredefeld said. “What we have to do as a society is protect ourselves.”

Dustin Crawford, 42, allegedly approached the prosecutor and others while they were outside Courthouse Park shooting a campaign commercial.

Crawford allegedly recognized the group before singling out the prosecutor and stabbing him three times in the back.

Deputies assigned to the nearby courthouse rushed outside after reports of the attack and later located Crawford a few blocks away.

Deputies used a taser to take him into custody and recovered a weapon, the sheriff’s office said.

The prosecutor was rushed to the hospital and later released.

“We are outraged and deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence,” Smittcamp previously said in a statement. “Our prosecutors come to work every day committed to pursuing justice, standing up for victims and protecting our community. They should be able to do that work without fear of violence.”

Authorities allege Crawford targeted the prosecutor in retaliation for a previous case in which the prosecutor helped send him to prison.

Crawford faces charges of attempted murder and attempted murder of a public official. He was booked at Fresno County Jail with bail set at $1 million.

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