The Death of Royce J Robertson [PT I]

[last update 3.09.21]

The sudden, tragic death of

Royce J Robertson

pillar of the

Joshua Tree

community...

Most people (myself included) first heard the name "Joshua Tree" when Irish pop band U2 released their 5th album in 1987. Apparently the original working title of the album was "The Two Americas." I'm not going to dig up quotes here, but the apparent observation Bono and friends made upon exploring the deserts of California and beyond is that their idea of what America was supposed to be did not always match the reality they experienced. How that morphed into "Joshua Tree" is a story anyone can probably dig up easy enough, but the 3 hour drive from downtown Los Angeles to Joshua Tree National park will probably give a hint where their heads were at with this concept.

The main route running through Joshua Tree is highway 62, aka Twentynine Palms Highway. Right on the 62 in the center of town is the Joshua Tree Coffee Company. The owner of this company was a charismatic 33 year old man by the name of Royce Robertson. I say "was" because according to the Hi-Desert Star, he "was shot and killed by deputies outside a country club" in Indian Wells on Monday February 15th, 2021.

The circumstances surrounding this incident seem to revolve around a dispute he got into with someone, who he allegedly then threatened as he pulled out a gun. But according to his sister, Demetria, Royce Robertson "didn't have a violent bone in his body."

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQskHG7uGPY&feature=youtu.be [News channel 3]

“It doesn’t feel real…He was a good person. This isn’t…they should all feel bad about this. They didn’t - they didn’t kill a bad guy, they killed a good guy...not a violent person, my brother...he didn’t have a violent bone in his body. I absolutely 100% would never think that my brother would do anything like that…he helped people, he was all about helping people in need and making the world a better place. That was his motto…We want the body cam footage, we want proof of what happened and we want them to be honest with us…I just feel that that’s what they owe."

from desertsun.com:

“He was one of the most gentle people,” she said. “My brother, if I tried to kill a spider in my own house, he would chide me and he would take that spider out of my house and let it live...He is not this person with a gun that was trying to shoot a cop,” she added.

"A lot of people called about him. He was loved" - Julie Harrison, JT Coffee Company...

"Royce was about the most generous guy you'd ever meet...All of this is just so unlike him." - Joshua Tree Coffee Company Manager Eric Bartlett

"The town is in shock — Joshua Tree is in shock,” [Robertson was] “just a real pillar of the community, loved and looked up to.”...“Never in a million years...” [could we have expected this]

One of the burning questions here is, "what was Mr Robertson doing exactly, 50 miles from home at 7 on a Monday morning, driving a car that doesn't seem to be his regular vehicle?"

[You must tap or click on these images, in order to enlarge/save them at the correct resolution. Simply enlarging the screen without clicking on images first will produce blurry details.]

Most of what we know about this incident comes from Sheriff Chad Bianco, of Riverside County Sheriff's Department. I attempted to get some sort of Police/Investigative report, but so far have not been able to. What we do have is the above "press release." Here are some basic facts noted within it:

Around 7:25AM on Monday, February 15th 2021, Riverside Country Sheriff's Dept "received a call" from an unidentified individual. We are told this was regarding a "male suspect" who was "brandishing" a firearm and "displayed" this handgun at someone, while threatening to kill the person. The male suspect then fled the scene, but deputies caught up with him as he attempted to enter the Desert Horizon's Country Club. Male suspect then gets out of his car, and points his gun at the deputies, at which point they shoot and kill him.

This release claims there are "no outstanding suspects" and no witnesses are mentioned. None of the identities of those involved with the incident, including the "involved officers," are mentioned. This release was then shortly updated to include the identity of the deceased, as "Royce Robertson, 33 years old, resident of Joshua Tree."

The press release and video interview with Sheriff Bianco seem to have both been put out the day after the shooting, February the 16th. Sheriff Bianco gives the official story to the public:

"…approximately 10-15 minutes after 7 O’clock, a driver of - 2 drivers of vehicles engaged in some type of argument disagreement…the - one of the drivers exited his vehicle, approached the 2nd driver with a handgun, pointed it at the driver and asked him if he wanted to die...the brief exchange of words between the 2…the suspect then got back in his vehicle and drove away…"

The Sheriff starts to say "a driver of" but catches himself. Was he about to say there was only 1 driver? He does this again when he almost says "THE [singular] driver..." but quickly corrects himself to say "one of the drivers".

What was Mr Robertson doing 50 miles from home so early and why did he have a gun with him? Who was this individual that he allegedly threatened? A stranger, or perhaps someone he knew? An interview with this person would be helpful. Given Mr Robertson's decidedly non-violent reputation among those who knew him, what prompted such erratic behavior? We don't have much to go on at this point, but what we do have to go on raises more questions than answers.

"...the victim of that call - uh called 911 and followed the driver of a black Mercedes. He called 911, deputies responded, they intercepted the driver of that vehicle just behind me here as they were pulling into …right here at the intersection and he [singular] pulled into the country club. He approached the gate, the gate was locked. He told the attendant that he needed to get through because the cops were chasing him, they opened the gate. He drove in, made an immediate u-turn, the deputies were behind him, stopped, the driver of that black Mercedes exited his vehicle with a handgun, and a deputy involved shooting occurred. 2 of our deputies fired their handgun at the suspect, the suspect was struck multiple times, and he died at the scene."

If you are a parking lot attendant, isn't it your job to make sure CRIMINALS don't enter? If someone says, "the cops are following me" that sorta indicates the person is a criminal! If this person threatened you, you might let him in out of fear. If you knew the person, you might try to help them out. Sure would be nice to hear from this attendant, especially given the fact this person likely witnessed the shooting! But so far, this entire story is coming from 1 person - Sheriff Bianco. While I am sure he is reliable, he did not seem to witness any of this. He is giving us SECOND HAND information. Wouldn't it be good to hear from at least 1 of the people involved in the incident?

What result, other than death, did Mr Robertson expect when making the decision to pull his gun out on cops? It would be one thing if we knew nothing about Mr Robertson. We could simply assume his erratic, threatening behavior that morning was of a desperate criminal on the run, probably high on something. But again, he did not fit that profile at all, according to those who knew him well. The mental state of Royce Robertson, and what lead him there is crucial to understanding what occured here.

"Two of our deputies fired their handgun at the suspect, the suspect was struck multiple times, and he died at the scene. At this time we don’t know the identification of the suspect, that will be pending, and...FOR NOW we have 2 deputies that were involved in the shooting, obviously this is early the investigation is still ongoing..."

2 deputies were involved, "FOR NOW." The Sheriff pauses and then puts emphesis upon these words "for now." He just said "Two of our deputies fired their handgun at the suspect" before that, and now he is saying "for now" two were involved. They already had the 911 call records, has Sheriff Bianco not looked at the dispatch records before addressing the public on this very sensitive topic? Does he know how many cops were at the scene of the crime or doesn't he? Does he know how many cops pulled out guns and shot at Mr Robertson or doesn't he?

Note that Sheriff Bianco is using the phrase "handgun" above, in reference to the deputy's weapons. This will be important to remember later in the blog.

At this point, Sheriff Bianco says they don't yet know the name of "the suspect." Did Mr Robertson NOT have his wallet/license on him? What sensible person goes on a 50 mile drive without their wallet/I.D. while packing a gun? If the Sheriff simply didn't want to reveal the deceased's name so early in the investigation, why not just say so? But no, the Sheriff said "we don’t know the identification of the suspect." That's pretty specific. We don't know = we found no ID/Driver's Licence on him.

Sheriff Bianco then re-tells the story, this time with quite a few video edits [edit marks notated for reference]:

[edit]"...the original encounter was near the intersection of Simon and 111 [edit] in La Quinta. [edit] The victim of that exchange ended up pulling into a parking lot to get away from that other driver, but he followed him into the parking lot and then that's where the exchange happened…"

Earlier, the Sheriff mentioned ONE encounter between the 2 individuals. Now he is saying there were two encounters. One at the intersection and one in a parking lot. Parking lot? Didn't the Sheriff already tell us that Mr Robertson was shot and killed in the parking lot after fleeing the scene? How many parking lots are we talking about here Sheriff?

In the Sheriff's original version, Mr Robertson pulls into a parking lot AFTER threatening an individual and leaving the scene. The "victim" of that encounter then FOLLOWS MR Robertson, as he drove to a parking lot where he was shot and killed by cops. But in this alternate version, Mr Robertson FOLLOWS "the victim," who is trying to get away from him, into a parking lot where "the exchange happened." What is the definition of "exchange" exactly in this context? It's getting confusing here because the Sheriff now seems to have 2 versions of the story going, which are slightly different!

[edit]I don’t wanna call it a road rage but there was something, there were words exchanged between the 2 drivers, yes. [edit] The first exchange he went back to the victim’s vehicle, had the handgun in his hand, beat on the window with the handgun, yelled at him, asked him if he wanted to die,.."

Sheriff Bianco now confirms that the "handgun" came out and Mr Robertson threatened the other individual during their "first exchange." So that'd be before ANYONE took off to whatever parking lot they went to.

"...there were some more words exchanged, he [Robertson] got in the car and left, and then when THEY pulled in here with the deputies..."

"They?" How many people were with Mr Robertson when he pulled into the Country Club parking lot as he was followed by deputies? Go back and read the earlier quote from Sheriff Bianco, where he clearly says "HE [singular] pulled into the Country Club...HE [singular] told the attendant that HE [singular] needed to get through because the cops were chasing HIM [singular]." As we noted earlier from the Sheriff's direct quote, one version had "the victim" fleeing the scene and into a parking lot after "exchange #1", while Mr Robertson followed. So according to THAT version, "THEY" [plural] did go into a parking lot. But this is not the version news articles are pushing. The news media's version has Mr Robertson fleeing the scene, unnamed individual followed him, and Robertson is alone by the time he drives into the Country Club parking lot, with cops tailing him. So when the Sheriff says "...THEY pulled in here with the deputies," well, the only "they" other than the deputies must be Mr Robertson and whoever he was with. Who was he with?

Maybe the Sheriff just doesn't have the story straight in his head, as he does fumble his words more than once:

"...he got out with the vehicle in it - I take that back he exited the vehicle, the gun was hidden, he retreaved the vehicle from under his arm [that is a direct quote, he called the gun a "vehicle"] or in a jacket or shirt or something, and then when he produced that handgun that’s when the deputies fired. [edit] We have no idea who the suspect is, where the vehicle’s from. It has Arizona paper plates but we have not been able to verify that with Arizona. They have no record of it."

They had "no idea" who the suspect was, so the suspect had no driver's license identification on him? Why would Mr Robertson be driving a black Mercedes with unverified paper plates from out of state [which cops could not, with all of their fancy technology, verify in their database], 50 miles from home at 7AM on a Monday Morning, no license on him, packing a gun and waving it around at some random guy who ticked him off? And who in their right mind would EVER point a gun at some cops for such petty reasons? That's a suicide move! Are there any pictures of this vehicle? What was the VIN number? I assume there must be a whole lot of information we don't have which fills the gaps here.

There was a follow up story by desertsun.com on 2.18.21 with Mr Robertson's sister, which has no video that I saw, but she is quoted as saying:

“My brother didn’t have any guns,” Demetria Robertson told The Desert Sun on Thursday. “He had two BB guns and two antique rifles,” she said, referring to two family heirlooms that he kept at home....She said her brother had been known to keep at least one of the BB guns — a type of air gun that shoots metallic ball projectiles — in his car.  She said he would use them to shoot objects like beer cans or logs in the desert..."

Demetria first says her brother didn't have any guns, then goes on to say he had 4! Are "antique rifles" not types of guns? Is a BB gun not a gun? I'm not saying she is a liar, but that is how it reads above. I assume these are heavily edited statements that make more sense when heard in their proper context. But as it reads here, I'm seeing journalists moving quotations around in order to fit a narrative. I guess they figure nobody is gonna look that closely, becuase it's pretty sloppy as you can see...

The lethal weapons Mr Robertson owned were not handguns, so they could not have been what the Sheriff says he had at the crime scene. There is also no mention of rifles or any other weapons at the scene, other than a single handgun. Recall that the Sheriff used the word "handgun" when describing officers shooting Mr Robertson. So when the Sheriff says "handgun," we can assume he means one with deadly lead bullets, NOT a BB Gun.

Now it may be true that Mr Robertson kept a BB gun in his car, and yes, shooting stuff out in the desert, even with LETHAL weapons, is not so out of the ordinary. But we didn't get a direct quote from his sister on this, the article is PARAPHRASING her. There is also the possibility that Mr Robertson did not keep a gun of any kind in his car, even if his sister thought he MAY have - which, again, the artcle has only paraphrased her as saying. There is also the question of the vehicle. Did he always drive a Mercedes with out-of-state paper license plates that cannot be verified? Sounds like a temporary or recently acquired vehicle to me. If this was not his regular vehicle, would he have had his BB Gun sitting in it by default?

"When The Desert Sun asked the sheriff's department about the type of gun recovered at the scene, Sgt. Albert Martinez responded: "As soon as the investigation allows we will release more details."...Demetria Robertson believes her brother had a BB gun during the confrontation with the motorist. She said such “stupid” behavior could warrant a night in jail or mental health assistance, “but not being mowed down.”..

Now they are saying Mr Robertson's sister "believes" her brother had a BB gun during the confrontation with the motorist. I couldn't find a quote or a video of her saying these words, so again, her statements are being paraphrased by the author of the article. Sheriff Bianco already referred to Mr Robertson's weapon as a "handgun" as he did the officer's weapons at the scene of the crime. So why would we assume officers recovered anything but a DEADLY handgun? Sgt Martinez does not clarify according to the article. If Sgt Martinez had verified that Mr Robertson was in possession of a deadly handgun, this would only re-enforce what the public probably assumed already. But by refusing to confirm whether it was a BB gun or not when questioned - this really just creates more suspicion regarding the detail.

“He was one of the most gentle people,” she said. “My brother, if I tried to kill a spider in my own house, he would chide me and he would take that spider out of my house and let it live. “He is not this person with a gun that was trying to shoot a cop,” she added...The sheriff added, "when [the suspect] exited the vehicle, the gun was hidden — he retrieved the [gun] from under his arm or in a jacket or under his shirt or something and then when he produced that handgun that's when the deputies fired."...A sheriff's department news release later added: "The suspect was in possession of a handgun and pointed it at the deputies.... A handgun was located at the scene."

If you recall earlier, Officer Bianco said "he retrieved the VEHICLE from under his arm..." The above quoted article has taken that word out and paraphrased the word "GUN" in its place. Sure, that's obviously what he meant, but the fact he was stumbling his words is conspicuously left out now.

Lots of talk about a "handgun," nothing about it being a BB, which would be a pretty blatant detail to leave out if true, as this would greatly alter public perception of the event. In a time like now where police brutality is particularly of interest to the mainstream media, this story is getting decidedly little attention. Where is the demand for transparency? This man was a "pillar of the community!"

"To me, he was murdered," [Demetria] Robertson said, adding she received a text message that morning from her brother advising he was heading to her home in Rancho Mirage after running an errand at a bank." - desertsun.com

Banks open at 7AM? The closest teller was 50 miles from home? The above is from a Desert Sun article released on March 7th, 2021 - about 3 weeks after the death of Royce Robertson. Earlier we noted the burning question," what was Mr Robertson doing 50 miles from home so early in the morning?" The answer, in partial form, has been released here - but besides the fact that it is vague, it is also not a direct quote! Observe that the part where Demetria Robertson states she thinks her brother "was murdered," is quoted - and this was also captured on video. But the part about Royce supposedly texting her that morning is PARAPHRASED. The author of the article stated Ms Robertson said this, but how do we know she really did? Is the Desert Sun adding details and taking quotes out of context in order to fill holes in this story?

The Desert Sun also re-iterates in this more recent article, that Demetria claimed Royce "had a BB gun," insinuating that this is what Mr Robertson pointed at the cops, without actually stating it. But again, this is a paraphrased quote that could easily have been taken out of context or not stated at all! And as we have seen, the "handgun" referenced by Sheriff Bianco earlier, is clearly INTENDED to reference a lethal one, not a BB gun.

[A card was signed by people who knew Royce Robertson, at a private gathering held on Sunday, March 7th 2021.]

Most of the entries on the above pictured card are expressions of love from those who knew Royce Robertson, but there is an entry on the lower left which expresses the anger and confusion some are obviously feeling regarding all of this:

"We are seeking the truth of what happened to you, Royce, and following this case. Riverside County Sheriff dept will be held to account for using lethal force. You will not be forgotten, nor the traumatic circumstances of your demise. Justice will prevail!"

From https://kesq.com:

"The DA doesn’t return my text messages, I’ve texted him multiple times..." "To me he was murdered and not only was he murdered but they’ve treated my family very badly, law enforcement has. From making fun of his jewelry when I picked up the things that were on his body when he died..." - Demetria Robertson

Given the questionable story as relayed to the public by Sheriff Bianco, and given we have no first hand account of what actually happened here - I think the feelings of distrust expessed by those who were close to the deceased towards police investigators is justified.

In addition to opening the Joshua Tree Coffee Company, Royce Robertson was personally interested in natural forms of healing. He recently started joshuatreesilver.com. I checked his website within 48 hours of hearing about his death, and it was already down. According to him, he had found a reliable high end facility that uses lazers to achieve TRUE colloidal silver - as opposed to the typical "Ionic Silver" which often falsely sells itself as "Colloidal." These high end lazers are very sophisticated and expensive, so this was not just some casual hobby of his. He was very passionate about it. A worker at the local health food store who sells Mr Robertson's colloidal silver products did not have any information on what will happen to the company, but Joshua Tree Coffee, just across the street, seems to be going strong.

To read part 2, CLICK HERE.

For part 3,CLICK HERE

You might also be interested in the blog I did regarding THE DIMEBAG DARRELL MURDER

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