Statement on the Emeryville Police Department's Killing of Yuvette Henderson

Anti Police-Terror Project Statement on The Emeryville Police Department's Killing of Yuvette Henderson

Oakland, CA, February 10, 2015 – In the early afternoon of Tuesday, February 3 a woman known to be Yuvette Henderson, a 38 year old mother of two children, was shot and killed by the Emeryville Police Department on the Oakland-Emeryville border. We know that officers responded to a call from employees of Home Depot in Emeryville, CA in regards to a disturbance within the store where it is alleged that a woman at the scene had a handgun.

After a thorough investigation, APTP is concerned that the dissemination of information to the public and the media is inaccurate and misleading. Eyewitness testimony also raises serious questions about officer conduct.

What we know is that there was an altercation at Home Depot with a person. This altercation did not lead to any change in operations at Home Depot that day and business proceeded as usual. The store remained open the entire time. We have not been able to confirm that Emeryville Police Department made contact with said individual on the Home Depot property. In fact, all available eyewitness testimony leads us to believe that no contact between the individual and Emeryville Police occurred at that location.

In an interview with ABC News on Channel 7 on Tuesday afternoon, Emeryville Police Sgt. Fred Duer responded to a question whether the shooting victim had pointed a gun at their officers with the following statement: "Our officers located the suspect in the 3400 block of Hollis Street. When they located the suspect they were ADVISED that the suspect was armed with a gun. The officers discharged their weapons striking the suspect." This statement, issued with authority, and from somebody on the ground involved with the investigation does not confirm that the officers killed Yuvette Henderson out of self defense and it is consistent with a very disturbing pattern of extra judicial police killings that are happening across the country. In short, with the evidence that we have been able to gather, this amounts to a ‘shoot first and ask questions later’ scenario. Murder.

Right now APTP has more questions than it has answers for and we would simply like some answers at this time.

Today we delivered in writing a few simple questions to the loss prevention manager at Home Depot. We are awaiting Home Depot’s response. A copy of our correspondence to Home Depot is attached to this release.

Today we delivered in writing a some questions to Extra Space Storage in Oakland where the shooting occurred. A copy of our correspondence to Extra Space Storage is attached to this release.

APTP believes that, as these businesses are members of the community, they should have no problem with being transparent about these very basic questions.

Finally, APTP has a but one demand for all of the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Oakland Police Department who is leading the investigation into the killing of Yuvette Henderson: Release, to the public, all surveillance footage gathered at Home Depot, Sports Authority and at the Extra Space Storage facility within 48 hours.

We believe this footage would go a long way toward addressing issues of transparency which the community and the public demands. If there are concerns regarding the graphic nature of such footage as it relates to respect for the family members, we ask the footage be presented to us in a private meeting for our viewing. Members of our organization are willing to meet at anytime. We are expecting an immediate response to this request. These requests have been made in writing and have been delivered to the Oakland Police Department who is conducting the investigation prior to the issuing of this press release.

Responses of the local businesses addressed and the police departments will go a long way toward helping us formulate an appropriate community response to this tragedy.

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Now it is time to turn up the heat on these agencies. Please call the agencies and businesses listed below and ask them to answer the questions they were presented with in the next 48 hours!

Home Depot: (510) 601-9400
Sports Authority: (510) 450-9400
Extra Space Storage: (510) 450-0736
Oakland Police Department:(510) 777-3333
Emeryville Police Department: (510) 596-3700