Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said Monday he is authorizing his prosecutors and investigators who hold a valid concealed weapon license to carry a firearm to better protect themselves against potential attackers.
Janz announced the new rule just days after one of his former colleagues in the Fresno County District Attorney’s office was stabbed in Courthouse Park on Thursday. The prosecutor, a senior deputy district attorney, was treated at Community Regional Medical Center and released the next day.
The attacker, Dustin Crawford, 42, of Fresno, was arrested and faces charges of attempted murder and attempted murder of a public official.
The charges are enhanced with special allegations that the crimes caused great bodily injury and that Crawford possesses prior criminal convictions.
An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday. He remains in the Fresno County Jail on a $1 million bond.
If convicted of all charges, Crawford faces life in prison.
Janz said chief deputy city attorney Ashley Paulson was nearby filming a campaign commercial when the prosecutor was stabbed.
“The victim was there to support her,” Janz said. “None of them were armed. None of them were carrying weapons. None of them had security, and this was just right outside of the courthouse.”
Janz added that it is well known within the criminal community that prosecutors, whether with the district attorney’s office or the city attorney’s office, are unarmed.
“We are sitting ducks in Courthouse Park,” Janz said.
Last week, District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp and Sheriff John Zanoni also called for stronger protections for county employees.
Zanoni said he and others are working on a county ordinance that makes it possible for county employees to carry a concealed weapon.
Janz is hopeful city and county officials will be successful this time, as previous attempts have failed.
When asked how many of his prosecutors are currently licensed to carry a concealed weapon, Janz declined to answer: “I’m not going to help criminals be tipped off.”