Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Orlando Against Police Crimes.
Orlando Against Police Crimes strongly condemns the murder of 24-year old Luis Lopez by Orange County deputies on the night of Saturday, February 8th in the Pine Castle neighborhood.
Officers arrived following reports of a burglarized home. In a statement to WFTV, a close friend of Lopez, Loida Zunun, said “Some guy was trying to get in his house, and he called my mom,” Zunun said. “He was scared, and he told us, hey, there’s somebody trying to come inside my house.”
Newport Beach, CA – Oficiales del Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD, por sus siglas en inglés) persiguieron y luego mataron a José Velásquez, de 45 años, en Newport Beach el sábado 1 de febrero, alrededor de las 7 a.m.
Al menos siete patrullas y un helicóptero policial persiguieron a un vehículo hasta el muelle de Newport, con los policías llegando con las puertas de sus patrullas ya abiertas y con las armas en la mano mientras desaceleraban hasta detenerse. Dispararon más de una docena de tiros antes de dar cualquier orden verbal y antes de que muchos espectadores tuvieron tiempo de huir del muelle.
Tampa FL – On Tuesday, February 4, over 40 people came out to listen to a panel hosted by Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR) and led by the families who survived police crimes.
The event was part of a weeklong series of events that honor the life of Andrew Joseph III – a 14-year-old boy who was killed in traffic after he was kidnapped by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies in February 2014 – and the struggle for justice and accountability being fought in his name.
New Orleans, LA – On Sunday, February 9, the family of Glenn Foster Jr hosted a press conference at noon in front of the Hale Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans. As media came to town to cover the Super Bowl, Glenn’s mother, Sabrina Foster, seized the moment to bring light on her son.
Newport Beach, CA – Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) officers chased and then killed 45-year-old Jose Velasquez in Newport Beach Saturday, February 1, at about 7 a.m.
At least seven police cruisers and one police helicopter pursued a vehicle onto Newport pier, with police pulling up with their squad car doors already open and guns drawn as they slowed to a stop. They fired over a dozen shots before issuing any verbal commands and before many bystanders had time to flee the pier.
Aurora, CO – On January 18, despite the cold and snowy weather, the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) and community members gathered outside the Aurora Police Department headquarters to demand transparency and justice.
In the past few years, the Aurora Police Department (APD) has killed at least three unarmed Black men – Jordell Richardson, Kilyn Lewis, and Kory Dillard – and has brutalized dozens of other community members, such as Te’Erica Mosle, who was recording police harassing an unarmed Black man, only to be assaulted herself by the police.
Tallahassee, FL – On Jan. 15, the Tallahassee City Commission held a final public hearing on Ordinance No. 24-O-40, which is for the creation of the Citizens Police Review Board (CPRB). The Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC), along with other community members came out to oppose the dissolution of the CPRB ordinance.
Atlanta, GA – On December 9, 2024, Robert Brooks a 43-year-old Black man was beaten while handcuffed in the Marcy Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York. He died the next morning and was transported to a hospital in Utica, New York with cause of death described as “asphyxia due to compression of the neck.” Body camera footage released on December 27 shows 13 corrections officers (COs) involved in the beating and murder of Brooks.
Anaheim, CA – On Friday, December 27, Anaheim Police Department (APD) killed a 30-year-old man near the intersection of S East Street and E South Street. Four officers from APD were responding to a possible robbery and a replica firearm was recovered at the scene, however it is unclear based on current reports what the victim’s involvement in the robbery was and whether he was holding the replica firearm at the time of the shooting. The name of the victim, the names of the officers, and more details about the shooting have not been released to the public. Several agencies, including the California Department of Justice and APD Major Incident Review Team, are investigating the shooting, but the timeline for the investigation remains unclear.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following December 27 statement from New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP).
On Monday December 23rd, Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal inmates who had been on death row. These 37, including the killer cop Len Davis, will now serve life in prison without parole. The three that did not have their sentences commuted were excluded because they were convicted of crimes of terror.
Colorado Springs, CO – On December 13, at approximately 9:40 p.m., an unidentified man called 911 stating he was suicidal and had a firearm. By the time El Paso County sheriffs responded, an hour later, they could not find the man, as he had made his way to the parking lot of a local business. Colorado Springs Police claim the man refused to comply with demands to drop his weapon, and the police eventually shot and killed him.
New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, December 16, over 30 supporters packed the Orleans Parish Criminal Court in support of the Johnston family, who faced their first day of trial for false felony kidnapping charges. At the request of the family, supporters showed up in blue to show solidarity in demanding justice for Jrue Kenner.
Santa Ana, CA — El 1 de diciembre, dos oficiales del Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD) dispararon y mataron a un hombre en el centro de Santa Ana cerca de Broadway y calle 2. SAPD declara que la gente llamó para informar de que un hombre estaba cargando un rifle. Casi 30 agujeros de balas marcan la pared donde le dispararon por sostener lo que resultó ser una pistola de aire comprimido no letal.
Los Angeles, CA – On December 3, when newly-elected pro-police Nathan Hochman was sworn into office at the Hall of Justice as district attorney, members of Black Lives Matter-LA, Centro CSO and other LA activists arrived to protest Hochman’s agenda.
Los Angeles, CA – In a criminal court hearing on November 19, former Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy Remin Pineda was given the outrageous sentence of two years of probation, 250 community service hours, and 180 days of suspended county jail time for the killing of David Ordaz Jr. in 2021. As part of the plea deal, Pineda forfeited his right to hold a peace officer position or owning a gun.
Aurora, CO – On November 17, around 40 members of the Aurora community gathered in front of Aurora Police Headquarters to hold a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Kory Dillard and to speak out against the system that unjustly ended his life.
Farmerville, LA – On Monday, October 28, at 8:30 a.m., about 30 people showed up to the Union Parish courthouse for the plea hearing of Kory York, a Louisiana State Police officer who participated in the murder of unarmed Black motorist Ronald Greene in May 2019. Supporters rallied to pack the court and show their support for Greene’s family, including his mother, sisters and daughter.
Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, October 22, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) and numerous families of those impacted by police violence, lack of transparency, and by the conditions in the Milwaukee County Jail honored their loved ones in a panel and vigil for Stolen Lives Day at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, with around 100 people in attendance.
Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday afternoon, October 19, the steps of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) became a platform for calls for justice as over 80 people rallied to honor Dejuane “Woo” Hayden, a 30-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by police officer Bradley Griffitts. Organized by the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC), the event drew family, friends, and community members demanding accountability and answers.
New York, NY – On Saturday, October 26, members of the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) led a speakout in Restoration Plaza in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn. Speakers highlighted NYAARPR’s campaign, Cops Off the Trains - an initiative aimed at reducing the over-policing of the subway and buses.