ktvu's azenith smith learned more from friends and officers. we begin with eric rasmussen in the news room with more on the police radio calls made in the moments before he was gunned down. >> reporter: we listened to an hour of radio communication detailing what happened before, during and after the shots that killed officer johnson. police talked about scott dunham's mental history but nothing could prepare them for what he was about to do. >> reporter: tuesday evening in san jose a call stoopolice about -- to police about scott dunham alerted officers to a tense situation. [ indiscernible ] >> reporter: other information came from his daughter, calling from out of town, as well as his wife on the scene. [ indiscernible ] [ 911 calls ] >> reporter: then as police approached officers relayed what they saw. [ indiscernible ] [ 911 calls ] >> reporter: 12 seconds later the first word officer michael johnson was shot. >> officer down. officer down. >> copy, officer down. officer down. [ indiscernible ] [ dispatch calls ] >> reporter: minutes afte

ktvu's azenith smith is in san jose now with the plan to fix the problem. >> reporter: officers say when the system crashes they can only rely on the radio system and only one person can talk at a time. also, had the suspect been at large it could have put officers at risk. >> reporter: tuesday night was a difficult night for san jose police as one of their own, officer michael johnson was killed by man armed with a gun. but adding to that the computer crashed within an hour after officers responded to the crisis. >> unsatisfactory to have a problem. we are looking at ways, we are working on riskifying the issues. -- rectifying the problem. >> reporter: the network was bogged down and couldn't handle the high number of officers working that night. he couldn't send messages to officers and couldn't see other police calls coming in and had to rely on radio information. an issue going on for a year. >> our officers are frustrated with the computers not working in their cars because it is a critical piece of safety equipment. >> reporter: we obtained a memo details safety concerns. among the

ktvu's azenith smith now with more. >> right here of the truck. >> reporter: a witness said it is hard to grasp what she witnessed saturday night. a crash so severe it claimed the lives of four young people. the driver was 22 years old. the passengers 18 years old, 19 years old and a 16-year-old girl. >> impact was -- huge. i can't describe it. it was a very hard hit for both vehicles. >> reporter: chp says around weight p.m. last night a black car -- 8:00 p.m. last night a black car crossed into traffic and crashed head on into a truck. three people in the front of the car were killed. a 4th person died at the hospital. the others suffered major injuries. >> there was evidence alcohol was being consumed. broken bottles. opened bottles. glass. >> reporter: chp says none of the people in the car were wearing seatbelts. two passengers were on people's laps. loved ones placed flowers and a cross remembering those who died. >> i saw him a while back and he told me if i wanted to spend the night because we used to have sleep overs. >> he told me friday, see you. see you next week. >> she ca

azenith smith, ktvu fox 2 news. >>> b.a.r.t. is starting construction on a new station today. the site is at montgue and capital avenue near the great mall. there was closure of the montgue station. plans call for it to reopen in fifth months. a pedestrian over crossing will be built to link b.a.r.t. riders to the vta light rail. service is expected to start at the station in 2017. >>> starting today you can expect to see new ads on television and the internet with a warning about ecigarettes. >> the ads are meant to warn people, especially younger people about the dangers of and he should the role of tobacco. users need wake up to the fact that ecigarettes are highly addictive and contain chemicals linked to cancer. >>> now to the weather, in the bay area, some parts saw sprinkles today. here is what it looked like today before the skies started to clear. making way for the beautiful rainbow. >> the rain here meant snow in the sierra. that was some good news for skiers and snowboarders. they need the snow. north star resort in truckie. they got 3 inches of snow in 12 hours. -

azenith smith reporting live in san jose. thank you. >>> a san jose police officer charged with rape has changed his plea for the third time. the 39-year-old initially pleaded not guilty in 2013. and then changed it to no contest after prosecutors filed an amended complaint with enhancements that carry life sentences. today he changed his plea back tonot guilty and asked the judge to drop the enhancement charges and grant bail. she charged with raping a woman who called police after a domestic dispute with her husband. >> reporter: we learned 100 cases could be reviewed after a series of racist and homophobic texts were sent between san francisco police officers. the four officers have been reassigned and don't have any contact with the public. the texts target gays, philippineose, latinos and blacks -- filipinos, luteen suppose blacks. -- law teenoes and blacks. -- latinos and blacks. . >> the notion of this case is that we no longer have privacy. >> the police police police police officers association called the texts disgr

. >>> tonight azenith smith spokewise the -- speaks with the jurors about the decision they made anda look at why some say scott peterson's case is an example of the slow pace of justice. >> reporter: behind the walls are the state's most notorious inmates. scott peterson lived there for 10 years. the 42-year-old's life is monotonous. out of sight but not out of mind. >> i hope he is suffering. much as i am sure his wife did. >> reporter: in 2004 they spent six months here at the hall of justice as jurors for scott peterson's trial. >> didn't look the type of individual that would carry out murder. >> case that captivated the nation. laci peterson vanished 2002. months later her body and remains of a fetus were found. her husband scott peterson the suspect after reports of infidelity surfaced. >> had laci peterson not been pregnant she would be alive today. >> reporter: after months of testimony and deliberations the jury found scott peterson guilty. the judge agreed with the jury's recommendation he be fute -- put to death. according to his appeal to the california supreme court fil

azenith smith talked to several people who knew johnson about what they're going to miss the most. >> reporter: it was one of the most difficult times in the san jose police department's history. other officers sharing their grief of losing san jose police officer michael johnson. just 38. >> a tight knit family here at san jose, and the loss of any brother or sister is a punch to the stomach, and that's when this is. >> reporter: at the police officer's association building is a wall honoring 11 officers killed in the line of duty. johnson will be added to this wall. coincidentally, he came from the same academy class as jeffrey fontana, who was killed in 2001. >> we're human too. you know, i think that some people think that we officers don't cry, but we cry. we think about things. >> reporter: fellow san jose police officer walked along johnson, and was his friend. he said johnson loved being a police officer. it was in his blood. for that, durant looked up to him. >> he was the type of officer you wanted on your team. he was the guy that maybe was a little dorky and funny, but you

in san jose, azenith smith, ktvu fox news. >>> there is a report tonight that the grateful dead willlevi stadium this june. there is no official word. when we asked the 49ers today, the team's director of communications said they had no information. but the public sports daily is reporting the shows are set for june 27 and 28. the website says it's an extension the fare thee well tour. long time band members mickey hart, bill learn and bob wier are all expected to play. >>> temperatures warmed a couple of degrees after the sprinkles this morning and last night. temperatures tomorrow will be another iv or 5 degrees warmer than today. these are the highs from today. taking a look at the current radar. there are showers north. it appears that we might see a sprinkle out here tomorrow morning as this, if you extend this out. if you extend this out, the front kind of does something like this. as this slides through late tonight early tomorrow morning, we may show you a free sprinkles so it may be even lighter. knocked the pollens out of the trees. got some wet on the lawns, and on the pla

ktvu fox 2 news azenith smith found out, it is a big misunderstanding. . >> i say you like the shoes?animals. >> reporter: she loves animals. as soon as you walk into her home, it is fulled of stuffed animals. bizarre for some but not to her. >> i love it. i know -- i know nothing bad because i not kill these animals. >> reporter: she started 9-1/2 years ago. all the animals she bought off ebay. problem is, some are illegal to own in california. >> we have everything here. >> reporter: last year fish and wildlife got a tip she tried to by protected species online. >> the person is intentionally going out and killing these animal or supporting the killings of the animals. >> reporter: she didn't know it was illegal. >> i never have a problem in my life. i need work every day, find the money. i need work. >> reporter: she is hoping others will learn from her mistake as she no longer plans to buy animals and she wants the online sales service to better regulate what is legal and what is not. >> why you not pull the rules? [ indiscernible ] >> reporter: in san jose, azenith smith, ktvu fo

we begin with ktvu's azenith smith. she spoke with a friend of officer michael johnson. >> reporter: outside of the san jose police department, this memorial keeps growing with flowers and drawings from children. flags are at half-staff as the department lost a family member, the city lost a protector. >> reporter: one of the most difficult times in the san jose police department's history. the city of san jose's darkest hour. other officers sharing their grief of losing san jose police officer michael johnson. just 38. >> tight nit family in san jose. the loss of any brother or sister is a punch to the stomach. >> the officer who grew up in san jose shot and killed that hands of scott dunham, mentally unstable and suicidal. >> reporter: a wall honoring 11 officers killed in the line of duty. michael johnson will be ated to the wall. he came from the same academy class as a man killed in 2001. . >> we are human too. we cry, we think about things. >> reporter: he worked along him michael johnson and was his friend. he sa

ktvu's azenith smith is live to explain what happened here. >> reporter: frank, 10 candidates are running in the race to be a san jose city counsel member. it is a seat left vacant and now it is drawing controversy. >> reporter: 29,000 households in north san jose should have received this. the official ballot for the april 7 election. 10 candidates are vying to represent district 4. next to their names, all have a diamond, it means they agree to limit campaign spending. especially 140,000 spending cap. problem is, that is not accurate. >> one typo. >> reporter: she says a staff member noted that a candidate agreed to the spending cap. he did not. now the office plans to send out brochures alerting of the error. >> reporter: how much is this going to cost taxpayers? >> $15,000. >> waste of people's money. >> reporter: he calls it unfortunate and unfair. he thinks sending the corrected brochures will confuse voters and hurt his run even more. >> harm to my campaign. that is the thing i don't want or any candidates want that type of publicity. >> reporter: she wished she was informed ahead

ktvu fox 2 news reporter azenith smith found out the one recommendation she wishes they would put intoice. . >> reporter: to say there was attention when she became san jose's independent police auditor in 2010, she says is an understatement. >> there was lot of tension. tension in the city. >> at the time san jose police was under fire for accusations of racial profiling. she worked to change that. building trust. >> there is a lot of secrecy in the whole complaint process and policing. there is. there isn't a lot of sunshine. >> he brought transparency. pushing for body cameras. that would be implemented last year and she questioned the ties to the san francisco 49ers. >> she a national leader with police community relations. >> reporter: in a statement to ktvu san jose police chief said i valued her intight, perspective and partnership -- insight, perspective and precipitation. >> reporter: she wishes they would do mandatory training when dealing with the mentally ill. >> there have been shootings of people who are mentally ill that are dead. there is an outcry from folks in the com

ktvu's azenith smith joins us now, live with the latest on the search. >> reporter: the sheriff's office believes johnell carter is still in the san jose area. and they formed a task force in hopes to find him. >> this is our top priority. we have several detectives, the task force, the sheriff's office wants to capture him as soon as possible. >> reporter: capturing johnell carter is difficult. three days later and no sign of the 43-year-old who took down a deputy during a appointment at the medical center. the sheriff's office says they put his picture on fugitive watch and hurted authorities. >> -- alerted authorities. >> surveillance, following up on tips. communication within other agencies. >> reporter: documents obtained by ktvu reveal johnell carter was arrested in march of last year. accused of sexual encounter with a 9-year-old relative over the course of a year. he denied the allegations. >> just, you know, shock to me. >> nervous for my friends. you know, her daughter. >> reporter: she lives next door to the victim's family and hopes the authority catch him soon. while ktvu w

ktvu's azenith smith is live at levi stadium with why his decision could change the future of pro football. >> reporter: it seems we have been hearing about young players leaving the nfl, worried about their health. whether or not you agree with chris borland's announcement it has the nfl world talking about brain injuries on the playing field. >> reporter: chris borland was on his way to becoming a nfl great, a starter with the 49ers. but he is walk away from $4 million for one reason. his health. saying the violent sport isn't worth it. >> to me it doesn't permit people from loving the game. >> reporter: he played 7 seesps in the nfl -- seasons in the nfl in the 1980s. he says nfl players are more aware of the dangers associated with head trauma and the effects. yet it is a decision that is personal and unique to every player. >> i don't think it will demise or slow down the game very much. the nfl probably most of this came when the lawsuits came. >> reporter: he is the chief of brain injury services. treated athletes for concussions and say they could lead to brain injuries. many in th

azenith smith is live at levi stadium. willis is leaving at a time when many people say the team could use a leader like him. >> reporter: yeah, he is often known as the spiritual leader on the team. but you can't fault him leaving on his own terms. he is retiring happy. he has nothing but gratitude and no regrets. as he face reporters to announce he was retiring to the 49ers, he was candid, emotional, and real as to why he was leaving. at one point, he choked up. >> there will not have been a day in my career where i don't feel like .. i gave everything i have. >> reporter: the all pro linebacker says he is leaving humbled and grateful. not as a perk man, but an honest man. honest in knowing his health and his injured toe has kept him in performing his best with his team. >> if i don't have what i know i need to give my teammates in this organization the best chance of winning, then i can't be out there doing that. and sit on the sideline and just collect a paycheck? i feel like that would be wrong. >> reporter: so with t

ktvu's azenith smith is live at a empty fire station in san jose. while it may seen seem like a no brainer there are concerns. >> reporter: yeah. you can see by the sign firefighters are not available at this station. the mayor is concerned when the money runs out will the city be able to fund the new hires. >> i don't know why they built a fire station if they are not going to use it. >> question a lot of people are asking. when the economy tanked in 2011 the city of san jose couldn't afford to keep fire houses open and had to make cuts. the city counsel approved applying for a federal grant that could help restore staffing levels. >> we are trying to get back to the peak staffing, 758. currently we are at 679. [ indiscernible ] >> reporter: a handful of the 33 fire stations in the city do not have fire engines. it would help pay for 14 new firefighters and could put engines back in service. it is certainly needed. the fire department failed to meet its goal of spaning to calls in -- respond to calls in 8 minutes 90% of the time. san jose mayor adm

in san jose, i'm azenith smith, ktvu news. >>> in san francisco they are hoping extra security will helpndalism and littering at dolores park. the city's rec department says there will be four staff members at the park tomorrow and six on sunday. this after several vandals caused damage. and last month someone drinking in the park smashed glass bottles in the sand box causing it to close. they also plan to have staff over the weekend to empty trash cans. >>> amanda knox's family says they're relieved. knox is seen on this video was facing 26-1/2 years in prison. her former boyfriend who was also convicted was facing a 25 year sentence. but the high court said the evidence did not -- >>> a russian rocket carried scott kelly and his russian partner to the international space station. the goal is to learn how extended life in space prepares humans to an eventual mission to mars. >>> and now to a team of triumph. it includes a student who is in the track team, he also happens to be blind. >> reporter: he's not just any triathlete. >> i'm like 98% blind. >> reporter: most of what he is sees i

ktvu's azenith smith is live tonight where that department remains on alert and, of course, it is still grieving. >> reporter: that's right. a sensitive time for the san jose police officer as expressed in this memorial. the chief commending the officer for officer -- tonight. >> reporter: a bullet from a police officer killed scott dunham. >> the weapon that was found next to the suspect was very inconsistent with the type of wound that he had. >> reporter: san jose police assistant chief said the veteran police officer was standing next to officer michael johnson when the gun fight occurred tuesday night. >> officers were ambushed. they had no time to react. >> reporter: scott dunham first shot at officers with a rifle. killing michael johnson. another officer 44 feet away returned fire. police are not releasing how many times scott dunham was hit or where. >> this individual officer that returned fire, i wish i had a better word than bravery for what he did. he saved his life and the lives of other police officers and may have saved the lives of community members. >> reporter: he say

ktvu's azenith smith with more on the investigation. >> reporter: according to a study released it was an officer that killed scott dunham. >> the weapon that was found next to the suspect was very inconsistent with the type of wound that he had. >> reporter: san jose police assistant chief eddy garcia says a veteran police officer was standing next to officer michael johnson when the gunfight occurred tuesday night. >> the officers were ambushed. they had no time to react. >> reporter: dunham from his apartment balcony first shot at officers killing johnson. that's when another officer 44 feet away returned fire. police are not releasing how many times dunham was hit or where. >> this individual that returned fire, i wish i had a better word than bravery for what this officer did. but he certainly not only did he save his own life, he may have saved the lives of other police officers and may have saved the lives of other police officer members. >> reporter: garcia says that officers are on high alert. police took this suspect into custody after he had broken into his ex-girlfriend's h

ktvu's azenith smith joins us live. >> reporter: sad story. witnesses reported seeing the friends in the car. speeding, swerving, crossing the double yellow lines. a truck driver tried to get out of the way but it was too late. >> reporter: loved ones placed flowers flowers and a cross were four people lost their live avers a joyride turned -- after lives after a joyride turned deadly. around 8:00 p.m. last night a back mercedes-benz crossed on to traffic and crashed head on into truck. three people were killed on impact. a fourth person died at the hospital. 22-year-old was behind the wheel. his passengers were all from -- >> i can't believe it. i can't believe it. >> reporter: four others in the car, as well as the driver of the truck surfed major injuries. she was described the scene as chaos. >> i went into the window of the black car, yelled in, can anybody hear me? nobody responded. it was a horrific scene. >> reporter: emergency crews used the jaws of life. none of the passengers in the car were wearing seatbelts. two were sitting on pe

in santa clara, i'm azenith smith, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> the marin county board of supervisors revealedew proposal. cyclists sometimes ride too fast and cause collisions with walkers and joggers on the millvalely sausalito path way. the current speed limit for bicyclists is 15 miles per hour. the measure before the board would have it reduced to 10- miles-an-hour. a public hearing on the lower speed limit is set for march 31st. >>> and a nice looking night out there. mild conditions. there's no fog out at the coast. there's san francisco a live camera shot. you see the bay bridge and off in the distance this clarity gives you an indication of the clean sky we have. you can see everything moving from ocean to land. that's a different direction than what we were seeing last week. what we're going to see then is this continued mild weather with maybe some patchy coastal fog and that slight on shore flow. obviously nothing showing up on the radar and clear throughout the bay area tonight. again, it might be a little patchy fog in the morning but really nothing that should be a problem for t

azenith smith tells us, she broke down today as she was talking about her punishment. >> . told people, you like shoes? i like animals. >> reporter: it's obviously dora likes animals. her living room is filled with more than 50 stuffed animals. a bobcat, iguana, snake, even an african lion. bizarre for some, but not for her. >> i love it. i no kill these animals. >> reporter: it's an eclectic collection more than nine and a half years ago. all of the animals she bought off of ebay. the problem is some of them are illegal to own in california. they got a tip from wildlife officers in france, she tried to buy a protected species of owl online. she owns several endangered species of birds. >> the person is going out, and intensely killing these animals, or supporting the killing of these animals that are protected. you are contributing to their demise. >> reporter: she says she didn't know it was illegal. >> i never have a problem in my life. but i need to work every day, find the money. i need to work for 300 hours more. >> reporter: she's hoping others will learn from her mi

ktvu's azenith smith is live at headquarters. the department says the crash in no way effected the call, the outcome of the call officer michael johnson was responding to. >> reporter: that's right. we want to make it clear the system crash after the shooting. it froze up because of the amount of officers working the suspect that night. they call it an acceptable and have a plan in place. >> reporter: as soon as the san jose police officers start their shift they log into the computer system where they are able to get the latest information on police calls. tuesday night, within an hour after officers responded to the fatal shooting of officer michael johnson it went down. >> they are frustrated with the computers not working in their cars. it is a critical piece of safety equipment. >> reporter: he couldn't send messages to officers and the mapping system went dead and he couldn't see other calls coming in. that night a stabbing occurred down the street, compromising officer safety. >> unsatisfactory for us to have a problem. we

ktvu's azenith smith tells us how that little girl is being protected by a group of bikers. >> reporter: they call it its top priority. all hands on deck to find janelle carter. he escaped friday after overpowering a deputy, and injurying his shoulder during a physical therapy appointment. deputies have blasted the 43- year-old's picture on fugitive watch. alerted state authorities to be on the lookout, and formed a multitask force over the weekend. >> it's from surveillance, to following up on any leads and tips that we get. so that's why we developed this task force, and just communication with other agencies. >> reporter: carter was arrested back in march of last year. he's accused of inappropriate sexual encountered with a 9- year-old relative. the molestation happening over the course of the year. the 5th grader told her biological mother who notified authorities. >> it's just like a quick reaction. it was like, he's on tv, i didn't really, you know, it caught me by surprise. >> reporter: jessica dorsey lives next door to the alleged victim's family in campbell, and tells me, she's

in aptos, azenith smith, ktvu news. >>> a new study from stanford suggests californians should get usedto being in a drought. human caused climate change is increasing the risk of drought and they say if global warming continues we will experience more drought conditions on a regular basis. the study appears in the journal of the national academy of sciences. >>> checking in on the weather today. we did have two scattered showers from this system which is spending most of its time and emergency in the northern part of california. this ridge of high pressure is rebuilding. this thing dropped down. now the ridge is coming back over us. this looks to be very dry. the showers are working their way south of santa barbara. we did have significant showers around milpitas and fremont this afternoon. i will show you some of the totals. when i say significant .12 in milpitas. .12 .12. you may have been in a place that got .03 but they didn't measure in the gauges. tomorrow we set up with a nice looking day. maybe a little patchy coastal fog in the morning. highs tomorrow in san francisco. you may