Orlando, FL action demands justice for Luis Lopez and Tyrone Bartley
Orlando, FL – Members of Orlando Against Police Crimes (OAPC) gathered outside the Orlando headquarters of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), October 21, to denounce the results of two investigations that found no officers accountable for the murder of Luis Lopez and Tyrone Bartley.
David Porter, emcee of the event, began by explaining the stories of Luis Lopez and Tyrone Bartley. Both men were murdered in their home by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). Lopez was shot through his kitchen window while fighting off a home invader. Bartley was living in a multi-tenant house when an OCSO SWAT team executed a warrant on a different tenant. 30 seconds passed from the moment they broke in the front door to Bartley being shot six times in the chest.
Cassia Laham, an organizer with OAPC, began by speaking about Luis Lopez’s case saying, “And, yet, that officer, that man, who shot the gun that fired the bullets that killed Luis in his kitchen was never charged with any crime. The FDLE didn't even find any wrongdoing at all. He's back on the job after a few months paid vacation.” Laham talked about Tyrone Bartley saying, “He was the victim of a botched SWAT raid, but mainly of Orange County Sheriff's Office policy of ‘shoot now, ask questions later.’ Especially when it comes to Black and brown people in our community.”
Next, Cassia read a statement from the neighbor of Luis Lopez, who called the police during the altercation on February 8, “Luis was a hardworking man who came to the U.S. with many dreams. He was ready to back to his family who he was eager to see, he also wanted to get married and dreamed of having a family. But all of that was taken from him. The officers went back on duty. And they will continue to live their lives like nothing happened. They get to go home and be with their loved ones. I can’t believe they can sleep at night knowing they killed an innocent person.”
Finally, lead organizer with Orlando Against Police Crimes, Edmund Anglero, read a statement from Symphony Bartley, the daughter of Tyrone Bartley: “Last Monday was my daddy’s birthday. He was going to be 33 years old. I remember last year we went to Olive Garden and then we went to Lake Eola. This year I didn’t get to do that with him because somebody killed my daddy. And I don’t know why somebody would kill my daddy because my daddy was a really good person and I miss him. And I don’t understand why anybody’s not doing anything because what the person did is not right. And my daddy did not deserve to die. And I just wish that I was able to spend his birthday with him this year. But I didn’t get to because of the person who killed my dad.”