Beyond the Creek

Interrogation by Walnut Creek Police

January 3, 2012 8:30 am

I’m sitting at the Civic Park playground in Walnut Creek watching my kids play over the weekend when I noticed right behind me someone was being questioned by a few police officers Apparently there was some kind of altercation between the man sitting and a guy on a nearby bench.

Although not exactly exciting, after several minutes I decided to take a photo of the scene. As I was quietly aiming the camera while trying to keep my eyes on my kids, the police officer at the far right in the photo came up and blocked the scene. I then turn around fully and ask whether there is a problem. He then asks whether I was filming. Unsure the point of him asking, I asked whether there is a problem filming. “No, it’s a free country.” he replied. “So can I film this?” I checked again. “Sure.” he replied. Finally as I was ready to take some more shots the scene ended peacefully. Now what I want to know is, if it’s ok to film police incidents in public, why would he approach me in the first place? Was it to intimidate me? Simple curiosity? Something else? Can someone shed some light on this?

4 Comments

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2011 11:59 pm

Hope everyone has a safe and fun celebration! Will be back with regular postings beginning Tuesday. Thanks for reading these past few months. If anyone has suggestions on what kind of things Beyond the Creek should focus on in 2012 please let me know.

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Arrest in Beating Case at Vice Lounge

December 31, 2011 4:55 pm

Brian Palma

Johnny Lopez

Vice Lounge, located at 1251 Arroyo Way in Walnut Creek was the site of another arrest last night. According to the Walnut Creek police:

On 12/31/11 at approximately 1:45 a.m., Firefighters from Station 1 came upon a beating victim near Arroyo Way and Civic Drive while on an unrelated call for service. The Firefighters began treating the victim and flagged down a passing patrol car. The victim advised he had been pistol whipped by a group of unknown subjects who ran off. Officers quickly set up a perimeter and located two suspects in a nearby stairwell. Security staff from VICE Lounge assisted officers in identifying the suspects.

During the course of the investigation probable cause was developed that linked the two suspects to the beating. The two were identified as Brian Palma and Johnny Lopez. Both Lopez and Palma were arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. Officers did not locate a firearm but did find a bloodied metal object that appears to have been used in the assault.

The victim was transported to a local hospital with serious but non-life threatening head injuries. Both suspects were taken to Martinez County Jail where they are being held on $50,000 bail.

There were several people in the area during this incident. Walnut Creek PD encourages anyone with information to contact us at (925) 943-5844.

2 Comments

Judging Restaurants – Tiki Tom’s

December 30, 2011 11:30 am

Tiki Tom’s, located at 1535 Olympic Blvd. across from Urban Outfitters in Walnut Creek looks like an interesting restaurant bar judging from the surfboard. Any fans? It gets mixed reviews on Yelp.

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Where’s the Bench?

December 30, 2011 8:30 am

Broadway Plaza is a great place to shop, with plenty of artwork and places to sit while sipping on a drink from one of the several cafes nearby. So when a reader recently pointed out that the circular bench that used to be next to Nordstrom was missing, I couldn’t believe it. Why would they do such a thing? If anyone from Broadway Plaza or elsewhere knows what happened please let us know. We miss it.

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Update on Erawan Thai Restaurant

December 29, 2011 11:30 am

It’s getting murkier and murkier. Previously I reported that Erawan Thai Restaurant was closing in Walnut Creek. So imagine my surprise when I was strolling downtown in the evening recently when I saw Erawan open for business. The source I had for this info was solid so I decided to go to Erawan itself for more details. Turns out the landlord and Erawan owner are having a bit of a conflict and the landlord may or may not be responsible for attempting to get them closed. The person at Erawan wasn’t exactly sure either so I guess time will tell with what happens to this place.

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Sculpture of the Day

December 29, 2011 8:30 am

Titled Bronze Frog, this sculpture can be seen in front of the Broadway Plaza Concierge building next to Macy’s.

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Closed – Calypso Twist

December 28, 2011 11:30 am

Calypso Twist has been closed for a while now, but it was a great addition to downtown Walnut Creek, hosting an eclectic mix of bold, artistic goods that made for great browsing.

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Judging Restaurants – Pyramid Alehouse

December 28, 2011 8:30 am

Judging from this view it looks like they make the beer on the premises. When I go I usually have the Hefeweizen beer and sausages. Anyone been? What’s the best thing to get?

6 Comments

Who’s planning to Shop at Neiman Marcus?

December 27, 2011 11:30 am

Neiman Marcus will be opening in a few short months in March and it looks like they’re ramping up steadily judging from the job searches they’re doing. My question is who plans to shop there? I don’t believe I’ve ever been inside one. From my understanding it’s even higher end than Nordstrom. Anyone been inside? How does it compare to Nordstrom?

14 Comments