Widower publicly alleges police misconduct in 2021 death, urges council action

During citizens communications at the May 20 City Council meeting, Steve Moses, identified as a resident, urged the council to act over events he says led to his wife's death in 2021 and demanded termination of a sergeant and the police chief.

Moses told the council he is “not just a grieving widower, but a voice for justice,” and said his wife Norma died on Sept. 28, 2021, after being taken to a nursing facility where he says she contracted COVID-19 and pneumonia and was denied critical medical care. He said Victoria Police, including “sergeant Swanson,” came to his home on Aug. 26, 2021, and that the officers’ actions led to subsequent events. Moses said he has police video, documentation and internal affairs correspondence and that he has “proven at least 5 blatant civil and elder rights violations.” He demanded “the immediate termination of sergeant Swanson and the chief of police.”

Moses compared the case to the George Floyd civil case and said he has publicized the matter widely. He told council staff and elected officials they had “done nothing” to hold the involved officers accountable and asked how much longer officials would “ignore the George Floyd case of Victoria.”

Council acknowledged Moses’s remarks during the public-comment period; no council action or formal response is recorded in the meeting transcript. The statements were delivered during the citizens communication portion of the agenda and were not accompanied by any staff report or formal agenda item.

Separately during citizens communication, David Faskis invited the public to the Victoria Bach Festival (May 31–June 6) and highlighted the festival’s 50th anniversary programming.