Credit: Gardena Police Department
On June 2, 2013, Gardena (a suburb of Los Angeles, CA) police officers, shot and killed unarmed Ricardo Diaz-Zeferino and wounded a second man Eutiquio Acevedo-Mendez. Various media outlets and the City of Los Angeles have quarrled in court over the last two years over the issue of releasing dash cam video in the case. The reason behind the quarrel in court is that both men were unarmed at the time of the shooting. This case provides a real life example into the debate of the effectiveness of police body and dashboard cameras. Supporters reason that it will increase police accountability and public knowledge of facts surrounding the case.
After two years, a judge finally ruled that the video could be released to the public. On the video, we see
Diaz-Zeferino with his palms open at waist-level when officers shot him eight times. A second man with his hands up, Eutiquio Acevedo-Mendez, survived a gunshot wound to the back.
NOTE: THE FOOTAGE BELOW IS GRAPHIC
After two years, a judge finally ruled that the video could be released to the public. On the video, we see
Diaz-Zeferino with his palms open at waist-level when officers shot him eight times. A second man with his hands up, Eutiquio Acevedo-Mendez, survived a gunshot wound to the back.
NOTE: THE FOOTAGE BELOW IS GRAPHIC
The video surrounding the case has once again aded to the fuel behind the public demanding accountability for officers especially in the shooting of unarmed men of color. This video has led to many questions surrounding when police have a legal right to shoot. Police only need to reasonably perceive a threat to legally fire — a threat doesn't have to be actually present. This is the situation where the public is calling for more clear guidelines of what is an actual threat.
While the #blacklivesmatter movement has gained a lot of steam in the event surrounding police fatally shooting unarmed black males, the statistics for latino/hispanic males in the same situation seem scare.
While the #blacklivesmatter movement has gained a lot of steam in the event surrounding police fatally shooting unarmed black males, the statistics for latino/hispanic males in the same situation seem scare.
"WE HAVE NO RELIABLE DATA ON HISPANIC/LATINO PEOPLE SHOT AND KILLED BY THE POLICE"
- Samuel Walker, a retired criminal justice professor from the University of Nebraska, Omaha
Many times hispanic and latino males can often be mis-classified as white. There are sometime numerous occasions where racial bias and errors play a role in these statistics. Sometimes states, as is the case with Florida, the entire entire state is excluded from statics. This causes numbers to be far thrown off because Florida is the state with the 3rd largest latino population.
This video has added more questions that answers in the shooting death of Diaz-Zeferino and the bodily injury caused by gunshots to Acevedo-Mendez. The city of Gardena paid $4.7 million to settle a lawsuit with Diaz-Zeferino's family and Acevedo-Mendez. However, now that video has been released, the attorneys for the family of Diaz-Zeferino's family and Acevedo-Mendez are calling on the Department of Justice for a federal civil rights investigation of the Gardena Police Department.
This video has added more questions that answers in the shooting death of Diaz-Zeferino and the bodily injury caused by gunshots to Acevedo-Mendez. The city of Gardena paid $4.7 million to settle a lawsuit with Diaz-Zeferino's family and Acevedo-Mendez. However, now that video has been released, the attorneys for the family of Diaz-Zeferino's family and Acevedo-Mendez are calling on the Department of Justice for a federal civil rights investigation of the Gardena Police Department.
Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal
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