Santa Ana, CA – On December 1, two officers from Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) shot and killed a man in downtown Santa Ana near Broadway and 2nd Street. SAPD stated that people called about a man loading a rifle. Nearly 30 bullet holes scar the wall where he was shot for holding what turned out to be a non-lethal airsoft gun.

The name of the victim has not been released but reports state that the man was “Hispanic”, in his thirties and pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

The next day, members of Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) began flyering downtown Santa Ana to reach the victim’s family and to spread awareness about the killing. Many people walk down Broadway unaware they are passing an execution site.

Fewer people know about the site just one block away in the CVS parking lot, where SAPD shot unarmed Salvadoran immigrant Miguel Chavez in 2022. At least eight officers chased his vehicle into the lot and surrounded him with guns drawn. Officers Jonathan Chavez and Sean Anthis fired three “less-lethal” rounds into Miguel Chavez and Officer Mark Shifflett sicced a police dog on him. Chavez died two days later from bite injuries. The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner, but all three officers were cleared of wrongdoing by Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, two years after the killing.

In Santa Ana police are largely shielded from accountability. The “Critical Incident Reports” they must share within 45 days smear the victim and justify police actions. While Miguel Chavez had no criminal record or history of drug use to be used against him, officers said they saw a weapon, but no weapon was found. Meanwhile, these reports are not required to share officer names. As a result, when impacted families and the public are most desperate for answers, they don’t learn about which officers are responsible or about their history of violence.

That is why CSO OC is in the process of building a campaign to demand that SAPD release officer names after police killings. Rain Mendoza, a member of CSO, said, “Our demand comes from impacted families and our study of police policy in Santa Ana. The demand is part of a step-by-step process in which we take power from the police who repress and kill us, and we give that power back to the people.”

To get involved in CSO OC’s police accountability campaign, reach out to us on our social media, @cso.oc on Instagram, Orange County CSO on Facebook, or email us at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

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