Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Letter from a member of Fresno Copwatch: Reminder for Oct. 22nd Vigil in Fresno
This report comes from a member of Copwatch, a member of Comite No Nos Vamos, and a leader in efforts to demand that the Fresno Police be held accountable to the community members who they are supposed to serve and protect. (below is a picture of the author speaking at a <A href="/news/2005/06/1749122.php">press conference on June 23.
Every time I learn someone dies at the hands of law enforcement, I say a small prayer for both the victim and the officers who shot him. I also try to remember to send in the information so that they can be included in the Nationwide Stolen Lives Project.. To be remembered by family and those trying to stop police violence.
I am not saying they were all angels. But I will not paint them like police do as if they were the harden criminal. They might have had a criminal record, but most of the time those convictions do not justify them getting judge, sentenced and executed by police.
Most of the time, they aren't even violent, just confused, hitting bottom and feeling broken. Maybe if we as a society,would have helped them, they would still be a live. We will never know because the killings happen when none of us are around to reach out to help or witnesses are too scared to come forward or because we have become immune to the killings or maybe because we know cops aren't prosecuted for killing someone they were suppose to protect.
Some cities adopt polices to train their officers to address mental distressed persons rather than killing or injuring them. Here in Fresno we tried to persuade the sheriff and police departments to require that officers be trained to deal with persons with mental distress. They claim there's no money or time to permit the trainings. So the killings continue to occur frequently across the nation and no one questions it and instead we quietly read the paper:
· He escaped from a psychiatric facility and hid in a broom closet. Cops claim they fired nine beanbag bullets but were unable to subdue him, so they shot him 12 times killing him.
· Police admit they knew there were children in A's apartment, but they fired 65 bullets anyway. 35 of the bullets hit A. Five or six hit a visiting friend, who was reportedly trying to get A to surrender.
· M was in the house, afraid and "threatening to shoot himself. He's not threatening to shoot anyone else." When police arrived, M had barricaded himself in a closet. Cops sent in an attack dog. M reportedly defended himself, stabbing the dog. Three cops fired 30 rounds; 20 of them struck M and killed him.
What we do not hear enough are voices like Supervisor N who defied the code of silence and reported her criticism, stating that the officer had made a grave mistake by using deadly force to break up a routine fight. Later she was ostracized and harassed and several commanding officers tried to silence her. A review board later determined that the shooting was unjustified. Supervisor N. said, "Blood and brain matter were all over the floor, splashed up on the walls. I don't care if he was an inmate. He was still a human being and he didn't deserve to be killed. Not for fighting."
Take a stand, stop police brutality.
------------------------------------------------
i wanted to include this to show that training helps but there are already too many words.
. It took many years to get law enforcement to recognize special circumstance when dealing with victims of domestic violence and although it's not perfect the training has saved many of the victim's lives. But still they refuse the training offered.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
reminder. ..we won't go away and we won't forget!
FRESNO Vigil For Lives Stolen by Police in the Valley
10th National Day Against Police Brutality
Saturday Oct 22, 2005 @5:30 p.m.
Corner of Mariposa and N Street
Meet at Park in front of Main library
Downtown Fresno
Wear Black! Bring candles!
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
California State Chapter National Action Network Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr: xyfloyd [at] aol.com 288-0828
Comite NO NOS VAMOS: Gloria Hernandez iwapgh [at] aol.com
559 498-6033 or 268-2261
Mai Summer Vue sunrisevue [at] earthlink.net 559 227-4671
October 22nd is the day when people all over the country come together to STOP police violence, repression, and the criminalization of a generation. Across the country, in different cities and through different means of _expression, we raise a resounding "NO" to their steadily increasing moves towards a police state. We resist so that we will not be crushed. http://october22-ny.org/national Fight back! On October 22nd,
WEAR BLACK! SUPPORT THE FAMILIES OF POLICE BRUTALITY! STOP THE FEAR NOW!
Residents of Fresno DID YOU KNOW that
The number of justifiable homicides has been declining in the U.S.
However the number of justifiable homicides committed by police exceeded the number committed by citizens. In the last 10 years, the number of justifiable homicides has declined 29%.
US population 294,000,000
Average justifiable homicides by police per year late 2000 - 2002
2000 309
2001 378
2002 341
= average of 343 per year. About one justifiable homicide for every 700,000 in US population per year.
*However in the City of Fresno which has a population of about 440,000 people (2000 Census) the FPD is averaging 3.85 justifiable homicides per year, over six times the per-capita national average!
*Statistically, a black person in Fresno has over 2.5 times the chance of being killed in a FPD officer-involved shooting than a white person, indicating a strong racial correlation.
*Full FPD officer-involved shooting data for 1998-2004 can be found @ http://greenenergy.homelinux.net/cccjc/FPDShootings98-04.htm
In July 2005, an 18-month old baby is killed in her father's arms by Los Angeles police. Police justification of this - that they were trying to "save" the baby - reminds people of the famous Vietnam era military quote - "We had to destroy the village in order to save the village." In Compton, police surround a truck where a man gave them the finger and fire 100 shots. Amnesty International released a report on Nov 2004 documenting over 70 deaths by tasers since 2001http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr511392004).
The Stolen Lives Project (http://stolenlives.org/) has documented an alarming escalation nationwide in the numbers of people killed by law enforcement agents. These killings march hand in hand with the repression, searches and seizures legalized by today's USA PATRIOT Act, which evoke remembrances of the COINTELPRO days of the 1960s and 70s. In Minneapolis, a police consultant, proposing a racial profiling program, brands youth of color as "domestic terrorists".
What can we do about all this increased repression and brutality?
Nicholas Heyward, Sr. (father of Nicholas Heyward, Jr., killed by NYC housing police in 1994) says, "Police brutality has gotten much worse. In order for any justice to be done, it takes a mass number of people coming together for a common cause. Police brutality affects everyone and has to stop. We need as many people as possible to come out this year on October 22nd to support the families of victims of police brutality.
Juanita Young adds that resistance is critical: "You can't give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit. If you don't resist and keep on fighting, they will be able to get away with what they're trying to do to us."
Norma Martinez (mother of Gonzalo Martinez, killed with 31 shots by LAPD in 2001), writes: "Since Gonzalo died, more than 25 people have died at the hands of police. No police are in jail. We need justice."
Stolen Lives in the San Joaquin Valley 1997
July3 : Juan Hector Torres, 31, Fresno police
July 11: Ramon Ramirez Gallardo 64 Dinuba police officers
July 31: Manuel Jimenez Garcia Jr., 30, Selma police
Dec. 23: Juan Cortez, 29, Tulare County sheriff 1998
Jan. 9: Alfonso Hernandez, 16, Visalia police
April 16: Sinn Sor, 42 Fresno patrol officer
May 9: Tom Neville, 36 Fresno police officers
July_: Israel Garcia by Fresno police 1999
March 23: Joe Casto Corrales 38,Fresno Police
Dec 05: Ralph Lafayette White Jr. Fresno Police 2000
Feb19: Ralph Peter Gawor 43, Fresno Police
Sept 5: Isaias Alvarez 51, Fresno police
Sept 11: Delfino Guerrero 23 Fresno Police 2001
July 16: Roderick Lee Bertolette, 33 Fresno police
July 21: Julian Celaya, 25 Fresno police
Nov. 6: Mark William Burke, 41, Fresno police
Nov. 7: Frank Soliz, 20 Corcoran police officer 2002
Jan. 3: Jose Javier Vega, 28, Fresno County Sheriff
Feb. 6: Phillip Daniel Aguilar, 24 Fresno police
March 1: Peter Contreras, 24, killed by Lemoore police
March 9: Albert Ray Owens, 42, Fresno police
May 4: Clifford Paul Maxwell, 21,Fresno police
May 16: Carlos Landois by Visalia police
May 25: Mark Charles Volpa Jr., 21 FSO, Fresno Police
June 6: Vue Xiong, 23, Fresno police
July 13: Ignacio Rangel Gonzalez, Tulare County sheriff
Aug. 15: Eric Daniel Foster, 25 Fresno police officer
Sept. 1: Lydia Rodriguez, 32 Fresno police officer
Oct. 24: Mariano Vargas Servin, 27, Tulare County sheriff
Oct. 27: Everardo Torres, 24 Madera police officer
Nov. 24: Tony Dominguez, 37, CHP officer 2003
March 11: Angel Jimenez 31, Tulare police
March 21: Atilano Lay Doporto, 29, CHP
July 16: Oscar Curtis Tilghman, 44, Fresno police.
Sept. 4: Garland King, 59 Fresno police officers
Oct. 12: Jennifer Lynn Le Blanc, 26 Lindsay police officer
Oct. 26: Demetre Omar Hall, 23 Fresno police officers
Oct. 28: David Grajiola, 36 CHP 2004
Feb 6: David Zapata, 20 Fresno police
Feb 10: James Louis Carrel Fresno Police
April 8: Mario Perez Hanford Police
July 22: Gabriel Martinez, 25 Fresno Police
Aug 20: Michael Lewis Sanders Fresno Police
Sept 03: Reynaldo Quintero Martinez 31 Fresno Police
Dec 19: Juan Zaragoza 31 Fresno Police 2005
Feb 1: Vong Yang Her Fresno Police
June 18: Daniel Mendoza Fresno Police
July 3: Jerome Carter Fresno Police
August 21: Tou Yang Fresno Police
September 21: Katrina Campos Fresno Police
END POLICE KILLINGS NOW!
SUPPORT THE FAMILIES OF VICTIMS!
I am not saying they were all angels. But I will not paint them like police do as if they were the harden criminal. They might have had a criminal record, but most of the time those convictions do not justify them getting judge, sentenced and executed by police.
Most of the time, they aren't even violent, just confused, hitting bottom and feeling broken. Maybe if we as a society,would have helped them, they would still be a live. We will never know because the killings happen when none of us are around to reach out to help or witnesses are too scared to come forward or because we have become immune to the killings or maybe because we know cops aren't prosecuted for killing someone they were suppose to protect.
Some cities adopt polices to train their officers to address mental distressed persons rather than killing or injuring them. Here in Fresno we tried to persuade the sheriff and police departments to require that officers be trained to deal with persons with mental distress. They claim there's no money or time to permit the trainings. So the killings continue to occur frequently across the nation and no one questions it and instead we quietly read the paper:
· He escaped from a psychiatric facility and hid in a broom closet. Cops claim they fired nine beanbag bullets but were unable to subdue him, so they shot him 12 times killing him.
· Police admit they knew there were children in A's apartment, but they fired 65 bullets anyway. 35 of the bullets hit A. Five or six hit a visiting friend, who was reportedly trying to get A to surrender.
· M was in the house, afraid and "threatening to shoot himself. He's not threatening to shoot anyone else." When police arrived, M had barricaded himself in a closet. Cops sent in an attack dog. M reportedly defended himself, stabbing the dog. Three cops fired 30 rounds; 20 of them struck M and killed him.
What we do not hear enough are voices like Supervisor N who defied the code of silence and reported her criticism, stating that the officer had made a grave mistake by using deadly force to break up a routine fight. Later she was ostracized and harassed and several commanding officers tried to silence her. A review board later determined that the shooting was unjustified. Supervisor N. said, "Blood and brain matter were all over the floor, splashed up on the walls. I don't care if he was an inmate. He was still a human being and he didn't deserve to be killed. Not for fighting."
Take a stand, stop police brutality.
------------------------------------------------
i wanted to include this to show that training helps but there are already too many words.
. It took many years to get law enforcement to recognize special circumstance when dealing with victims of domestic violence and although it's not perfect the training has saved many of the victim's lives. But still they refuse the training offered.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
reminder. ..we won't go away and we won't forget!
FRESNO Vigil For Lives Stolen by Police in the Valley
10th National Day Against Police Brutality
Saturday Oct 22, 2005 @5:30 p.m.
Corner of Mariposa and N Street
Meet at Park in front of Main library
Downtown Fresno
Wear Black! Bring candles!
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
California State Chapter National Action Network Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr: xyfloyd [at] aol.com 288-0828
Comite NO NOS VAMOS: Gloria Hernandez iwapgh [at] aol.com
559 498-6033 or 268-2261
Mai Summer Vue sunrisevue [at] earthlink.net 559 227-4671
October 22nd is the day when people all over the country come together to STOP police violence, repression, and the criminalization of a generation. Across the country, in different cities and through different means of _expression, we raise a resounding "NO" to their steadily increasing moves towards a police state. We resist so that we will not be crushed. http://october22-ny.org/national Fight back! On October 22nd,
WEAR BLACK! SUPPORT THE FAMILIES OF POLICE BRUTALITY! STOP THE FEAR NOW!
Residents of Fresno DID YOU KNOW that
The number of justifiable homicides has been declining in the U.S.
However the number of justifiable homicides committed by police exceeded the number committed by citizens. In the last 10 years, the number of justifiable homicides has declined 29%.
US population 294,000,000
Average justifiable homicides by police per year late 2000 - 2002
2000 309
2001 378
2002 341
= average of 343 per year. About one justifiable homicide for every 700,000 in US population per year.
*However in the City of Fresno which has a population of about 440,000 people (2000 Census) the FPD is averaging 3.85 justifiable homicides per year, over six times the per-capita national average!
*Statistically, a black person in Fresno has over 2.5 times the chance of being killed in a FPD officer-involved shooting than a white person, indicating a strong racial correlation.
*Full FPD officer-involved shooting data for 1998-2004 can be found @ http://greenenergy.homelinux.net/cccjc/FPDShootings98-04.htm
In July 2005, an 18-month old baby is killed in her father's arms by Los Angeles police. Police justification of this - that they were trying to "save" the baby - reminds people of the famous Vietnam era military quote - "We had to destroy the village in order to save the village." In Compton, police surround a truck where a man gave them the finger and fire 100 shots. Amnesty International released a report on Nov 2004 documenting over 70 deaths by tasers since 2001http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr511392004).
The Stolen Lives Project (http://stolenlives.org/) has documented an alarming escalation nationwide in the numbers of people killed by law enforcement agents. These killings march hand in hand with the repression, searches and seizures legalized by today's USA PATRIOT Act, which evoke remembrances of the COINTELPRO days of the 1960s and 70s. In Minneapolis, a police consultant, proposing a racial profiling program, brands youth of color as "domestic terrorists".
What can we do about all this increased repression and brutality?
Nicholas Heyward, Sr. (father of Nicholas Heyward, Jr., killed by NYC housing police in 1994) says, "Police brutality has gotten much worse. In order for any justice to be done, it takes a mass number of people coming together for a common cause. Police brutality affects everyone and has to stop. We need as many people as possible to come out this year on October 22nd to support the families of victims of police brutality.
Juanita Young adds that resistance is critical: "You can't give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit. If you don't resist and keep on fighting, they will be able to get away with what they're trying to do to us."
Norma Martinez (mother of Gonzalo Martinez, killed with 31 shots by LAPD in 2001), writes: "Since Gonzalo died, more than 25 people have died at the hands of police. No police are in jail. We need justice."
Stolen Lives in the San Joaquin Valley 1997
July3 : Juan Hector Torres, 31, Fresno police
July 11: Ramon Ramirez Gallardo 64 Dinuba police officers
July 31: Manuel Jimenez Garcia Jr., 30, Selma police
Dec. 23: Juan Cortez, 29, Tulare County sheriff 1998
Jan. 9: Alfonso Hernandez, 16, Visalia police
April 16: Sinn Sor, 42 Fresno patrol officer
May 9: Tom Neville, 36 Fresno police officers
July_: Israel Garcia by Fresno police 1999
March 23: Joe Casto Corrales 38,Fresno Police
Dec 05: Ralph Lafayette White Jr. Fresno Police 2000
Feb19: Ralph Peter Gawor 43, Fresno Police
Sept 5: Isaias Alvarez 51, Fresno police
Sept 11: Delfino Guerrero 23 Fresno Police 2001
July 16: Roderick Lee Bertolette, 33 Fresno police
July 21: Julian Celaya, 25 Fresno police
Nov. 6: Mark William Burke, 41, Fresno police
Nov. 7: Frank Soliz, 20 Corcoran police officer 2002
Jan. 3: Jose Javier Vega, 28, Fresno County Sheriff
Feb. 6: Phillip Daniel Aguilar, 24 Fresno police
March 1: Peter Contreras, 24, killed by Lemoore police
March 9: Albert Ray Owens, 42, Fresno police
May 4: Clifford Paul Maxwell, 21,Fresno police
May 16: Carlos Landois by Visalia police
May 25: Mark Charles Volpa Jr., 21 FSO, Fresno Police
June 6: Vue Xiong, 23, Fresno police
July 13: Ignacio Rangel Gonzalez, Tulare County sheriff
Aug. 15: Eric Daniel Foster, 25 Fresno police officer
Sept. 1: Lydia Rodriguez, 32 Fresno police officer
Oct. 24: Mariano Vargas Servin, 27, Tulare County sheriff
Oct. 27: Everardo Torres, 24 Madera police officer
Nov. 24: Tony Dominguez, 37, CHP officer 2003
March 11: Angel Jimenez 31, Tulare police
March 21: Atilano Lay Doporto, 29, CHP
July 16: Oscar Curtis Tilghman, 44, Fresno police.
Sept. 4: Garland King, 59 Fresno police officers
Oct. 12: Jennifer Lynn Le Blanc, 26 Lindsay police officer
Oct. 26: Demetre Omar Hall, 23 Fresno police officers
Oct. 28: David Grajiola, 36 CHP 2004
Feb 6: David Zapata, 20 Fresno police
Feb 10: James Louis Carrel Fresno Police
April 8: Mario Perez Hanford Police
July 22: Gabriel Martinez, 25 Fresno Police
Aug 20: Michael Lewis Sanders Fresno Police
Sept 03: Reynaldo Quintero Martinez 31 Fresno Police
Dec 19: Juan Zaragoza 31 Fresno Police 2005
Feb 1: Vong Yang Her Fresno Police
June 18: Daniel Mendoza Fresno Police
July 3: Jerome Carter Fresno Police
August 21: Tou Yang Fresno Police
September 21: Katrina Campos Fresno Police
END POLICE KILLINGS NOW!
SUPPORT THE FAMILIES OF VICTIMS!
For more information:
http://october22-ny.org/national
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
Sorry for not giving credit to the person who took the photo above, tried to link to their previous coverage but it didn't work right.
So here is the fixed link and credit goes to Mike Rhodes who used to work on indymedia efforts in the Central Valley, but is now focusing his energy on other endeavors in the Fresno area.
So here is the fixed link and credit goes to Mike Rhodes who used to work on indymedia efforts in the Central Valley, but is now focusing his energy on other endeavors in the Fresno area.
For more information:
http://www.indybay.org//news/2005/06/17491...
If the police have a reason to draw their firearm on you, chances are you deserve to be killed. Fresno needs more tough officers.
im asumming your a white middle class person...
The Fresno Bee story of the October 22nd event in Fresno is at http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11387881p-12133984c.html.
It's really ironic how people out there try to make our police officer's look bad,these officer's have a job to do and that's to uphold the law,many people out there have lost loved one's and we all hurt the same way,but what about the officer's who are killed in the line of duty?they have families too,they are someone's son,daughter,father,brother,sister,aunt,husband and wife.these officer's take a risk pulling over a car at a traffic stop for example officer brian nieto who pulled over joaquin figueroa it was a simple traffic stop,and what happened the officer almost lost his life but thank's to the doctor's,nurses and all the prayer's he pulled thru.so if your gonna break the law and know your doing wrong and you decide to resist and pull a gun out and point it at an officer you should know there's going to be consequences and that's to be either killed,wounded or sent to prison,you people should be out there helping the police cuz when your life your children's life is in danger that's who you'll be calling for help focus more on these drug dealer's who are getting a hold of our youth and gang's out there who are trying to court our young kid's in there gang's.these low life's use these kid's becuz they know it's easier for a kid under 18yrs of age to be handed over to the parent's and these low life's kick back later and laugh about it.just one more thing put more energy into your children so they won't have to be put in a bad situation .
I know this is old and I don't mean to beat a dead horse but look, you have some very valid points and it's impossible to truly get ALL of the TRUTH on ALL of these kinds of stories but Mark Volpa shot a cop in the face, ran, shot out another cops windshield, shot the rotor blade of the sherriff chopper(during the week long manhunt), and then held off cops for four hours from a trailer in the hills. He was armed with an assault rifle and two handguns for God's sake!!! 4 HOUR STAND-OFF PEOPLE! THEY COULD HAVE KILLED HIM IN 2 MINUTES IF THEY WANTED. They even used NON-LETHAL gas to bring him out; HE chose to come out shooting and even if he didn't, better him than anyone else like another officer or innocent child bystander! Do you think this is police brutality?! Get the story straight; and to be honest I don't even feel comfortable around cops because of my own past but you have to see the reality and Mark Volpa created the situation for himself. I knew him, his family, some of the people he associated with and the areas he hung around and mental illness or not, he was a person that engaged in activties provoking these types of results.
I apologize if this brings offense to anyone but I can not stand seeing his name on a list of innocent deaths caused by "police brutality." There too many uneducated people with too much misinformation in this world and it all seems to be made worse by the media. Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear PEOPLE!
I apologize if this brings offense to anyone but I can not stand seeing his name on a list of innocent deaths caused by "police brutality." There too many uneducated people with too much misinformation in this world and it all seems to be made worse by the media. Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear PEOPLE!
And is it safe to assume your not WHITE?(VICTIM) Lets not make this about race.
First, we need cops(just a fact). However, when they begin serving THEIR OWN agenda and not that of The People they are no longer needed nor wanted. I know there are SOME good cops out there but it seems that those ones are getting fewer and fewer and "we're" left with overzelous, trigger-happy douchebags on a powertrip! You say that if they have a reason to pull their guns out on a person then they deserve to get shot...WTF?!?! SERIOUSLY?? Problem with that statement is the Police pull their guns ALOT, even unnecessarily. So by your account; whomever they draw on deserves to get killed, hmmm, shows your intelligence(or lack thereof). I can't wait for the day you're on the opposite end of the barrel when cops are dispatched to investigate a disturbance at the next "kegger" you and your "bros" throw. I had to bury a friend on this list, literally(paulbearer), MAY 4th-Cliff Maxwell. If you were to spout your idiocy around any one from our circle you..well... let's just say, LIGHTS OUT!
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$155.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network