Los Angeles, CA – On April 27, a video filmed by a neighbor in Boyle Heights caught LAPD officer Frank Hernandez and another unnamed woman officer violently beating and arresting Chicano Richard Castillo. The video quickly went viral due to the completely unprovoked manner in which officer Hernandez punched and attacked Castillo. After backup was called, witnesses had to come out to defend Castillo. Officer Hernandez and others drew guns on the witnesses and ordered them to “Get out of here!”

Officer Hernandez has a violent history. He killed Manuel Jamines, shot in the head, September of 2010 and was known to harass street vendors in the MacArthur Park area.

Centro CSO began a petition urging mostly local Boyle Heights residents to voice their concern for the way the matter was handled. The petition called for LAPD Chief Michael Moore to fire officer Hernandez. On May 21, a delegation of CSO members hand-delivered over 1800 petition signatures to Chief Moore.

During this exchange, Chief Moore stated Hernandez was still on home duty and had not been returned his badge nor gun. When asked when the final report on the Hernandez attack on Castillo would be concluded, Chief Moore stated, “It should be ready by June 1, 2020.” This week, Chief Moore was publicly shamed after he stated that George Floyd’s blood was on protesters’ hands as much as it was on his killer cops.

On June 1, no report was published and CSO members were never contacted. Centro CSO sent a message to one of Chief Moore’s LAPD Headquarters officers, Vic Davila, to ask for an update. Davila told CSO members that due to the unrest in the city, the report had unfortunately been delayed. The next day, local LA news stations reported that the case had been forwarded to LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey.

Lacey is known for her complete and utter disregard for justice. With hundreds of LAPD officer-involved-shootings under her belt, Lacey just once filed charges on a police officer killing a civilian.

We denounce the delay in bringing Boyle Heights survivor Richard Castillo and the people of Boyle Heights justice. Hollenbeck LAPD officers have historically harassed, killed, beaten and terrorized the people of Boyle Heights. CSO will continue to ramp up the pressure on the leaders of LAPD and continue to denounce their attacks on Black and brown people.

Follow Centro CSO for more updates and actions, coming soon! CSO hotline number 323-943-2030, centrocso@gmail.com, and @CentroCSO on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Los Angeles, CA ⁠- Thursday afternoon, May 21, a contingent of Centro CSO members delivered to LAPD Chief Michel Moore a petition with over 1800 signatures demanding the firing of Officer Frank Hernandez. Earlier this month, the release of a video that caught Hernandez viciously attacking Richard Castillo sparked outrage in Boyle Heights where the incident took place. Chief Moore himself described the video, which clearly shows that Castillo had followed Hernandez’s orders and was not resisting arrest, as “disturbing” during his conversation with Centro CSO outside of LAPD headquarters.

Along with the petition signatures, Centro CSO also included comments from signers who expressed anger at both this current incident and the fact that Hernandez works in Boyle Heights at all. After Hernandez shot and killed Manuel Jamines, a Guatemalan day laborer, in 2010, LAPD transferred him to Hollenbeck Police Station, which has become infamous in Boyle Heights for the high number of young men killed by police.

“Your brutality and dishonesty are utterly despicable and are not to be tolerated by any just and humane society,” wrote one petition signer. “You are a danger to our communities and we do not want you on our streets!” Another asked Hernandez, “How can you abuse civilians knowing that you’re supposed to serve and protect them?”

As Chief Moore received the signatures and comments, Centro CSO asked for an update on Officer Hernandez’s current situation. According to Chief Moore, Hernandez has been placed on home duty and Boyle Heights can expect a swift response from LAPD. “I hope to have the completed investigation by the first of the month of June,” he told Centro CSO. “This entire matter will come before me to evaluate his actions and the consequences will be known.”

Centro CSO member Sol Marquez responded to Chief Moore’s confirmation that LAPD had taken Hernandez off the streets by noting the deadly impact when the police department doesn’t follow this procedure. “We know that officers like Eden Medina, within 12 days was able to kill two people in Boyle Heights in 2016,” said Marquez.

Carlos Montes, also of Centro CSO, used the face-to-face meeting as an opportunity to emphasize to Chief Moore that Hernandez is a threat to Boyle Heights: “We were out here ten years ago when he killed Manuel Jamines. I know that’s settled, but that was a real tragic case…he could have been arrested but [Hernandez] shot him in the head. The folks in the MacArthur Park area had told us that he was a bully and he harassed street vendors. You saw the video so hopefully he can be fired.” Hernandez was formerly stationed at the notorious LAPD Rampart station where a large protest was held in September 2010 when Manuel Jamines was killed.

Chief Moore’s possible transparency contrasts with the dismissive actions of the captain of Hollenbeck Police Station, Sonia Monico. On May 15, after the release of the video, Centro CSO led a protest outside of the Hollenbeck Police Station in Boyle Heights with the intent of handing over this same petition to Captain Monico. While Captain Monico had agreed to receive the signatures and comments, once the action started, she ignored Centro CSO’s calls. Eventually, Centro CSO member Sol Marquez decided to tape the petition to the station’s locked doors.

Richard Castillo is now safe but still traumatized and has sued the City of Los Angeles and LAPD for using excessive force and spitting in his face. While seeing Hernandez’s placement on home duty as a small victory, Centro CSO will continue fighting to get Hernandez fired. Those who wish to participate in this struggle can call 323-943-2030, email centrocso@gmail.com, or visit Facebook: Centro CSO.

#LosAngelesCA #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #PoliceBrutality #LAPD #Antiracism #FrankHernandez #RichardCastillo

Los Angeles, CA – On May 15, over 75 people came together outside of LAPD Hollenbeck Police Station in Boyle Heights to demand the firing of Officer Frank Hernandez and justice for Richard Castillo. After a neighbor released a video of Hernandez’s horrible attack on the defenseless Castillo, Centro CSO began organizing the protest and circulated a petition calling for the firing of Hernandez that’s now been signed by over 1600 people.

LAPD has removed his badge and gun and placed Hernandez on home duty and Castillo has sued the city. Both the neighbor’s video and recently released footage from the body-worn camera of Hernandez’s partner have disproved Hernandez’s claim that Castillo was resisting arrest.

Hernandez’s assault of Castillo has enraged residents of Boyle Heights and surrounding communities, not only because the beating was recorded, but also because Hernandez is well known as the cop who shot in the head and killed Manuel Jamines, a day laborer from Guatemala, in September 2010. Centro CSO participated in the fight to jail Hernandez then and continues to organize today against LAPD killings of Chicanos. Despite this murder and other incidents on Hernandez’s record, LAPD shielded Hernandez and transferred him to Hollenbeck, a notoriously violent station responsible for multiple deaths of Chicanos in Boyle Heights.

When Centro CSO members arrived at Hollenbeck Station, they found the area directly in front taped off, the doors locked, and multiple officers posted on the roof video recording the protest. Throughout the action, Centro CSO member Sol Marquez called Captain of LAPD Hollenbeck Sonia Monico, who earlier had agreed to receive the petition signatures and the community’s comments as long as only one person delivered them. Once the protest began, Monico refused to answer calls and never came to the door to receive petitions.

“They could have fired or jailed Frank Hernandez back in 2010 when he killed Manuel Jamines, but they didn’t. They let him go. He had already shot two other people,” Marquez said. “Then he did what he did on April 27 [the date of the attack on Richard Castillo]. If he hadn’t been caught on camera, would we have known? I don’t think so.”

Castillo’s attorney, Wesley G. Ouchi, sent Centro CSO a letter that Lupe Torres read to the crowd.

“Dear Centro CSO: On behalf of my client, Richard Castillo, we would like to thank all of you for your moral support and efforts during this difficult time. It truly speaks volumes to the strength of a community when such a tragedy is able to unite people, under a common belief that all of us are entitled to be treated, by our governments, with common decency, respect, and humanity, regardless of our culture, status, wealth or beliefs,” wrote Ouchi.

After the reading of this statement and some chants led by Centro CSO, a number of family members who’ve lost loved ones at the hands of police in Los Angeles spoke. Lisa Vargas marched in with her whole family holding a large banner calling for justice. The relatives of Anthony Vargas, Jesse Romero, Jose Mendez, Edwin Rodriguez, Cesar Rodriguez and Christian Escobedo described the trauma that police killing causes and urged protestors to continue fighting for justice. The crowd responded by chanting the names of each victim.

Joseph Williams with Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles and Alex Sanchez of Homies Unidos also addressed the protesters, and multiple other organizations attended the event. Many young people attended and directed their chants at the officers perched on top filming the action. Sammy Carrera spoke about longtime friend Richard Castillo and attested to Castillo being a great guy. Drivers passing by honked as they read signs like “Bully with a badge caught on camera” and “Fire LAPD thug Frank Hernandez.” The National Lawyers Guild provided legal observers.

Eventually, Marquez decided to knock on the station’s front door so that she could drop off the signatures and comments. The five to six officers at the desk watched her but did not budge, ignoring the calls from protesters to open the station or come out and receive the petition. At the close of the protest, Marquez taped the packet of petitions to the door, ensuring that LAPD couldn’t ignore the public’s demands.

Centro CSO is continuing to collect signatures and comments as they will deliver the petition – which can be found here - to LAPD Chief Moore on Thursday, May 21 at 2 p.m. at LAPD headquarters located at 100 West 1st Street Los Angeles, California 90012. Those who want to unite with Centro CSO in this fight for justice, can call 323-943-2030, email centrocso@gmail.com, or visit Facebook: Centro CSO.

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Los Angeles, CA – The violent attack happened on April 27. The video released was not caught on LAPD Hollenbeck patrol vehicles, nor on body cameras. Instead the video was recorded by a neighbor witness in Boyle Heights.

Two LAPD Hollenbeck station police officers were present, one of whom was Frank Hernandez, the other officer a woman. The officers responded to a radio call about a trespassing suspect near the Church of God of the Prophecy, located at the 2400 block of Houston Street.

The video initially shows the unnamed victim being arrested, his hands behind his back, not resisting. Without warning, Hernandez suddenly begins to repeatedly punch the victim in the head and upper body. Hernandez’s partner simply watches as Hernandez punches and verbally accosts the victim. Hernandez’s partner then calls for backup. Moments later, another LAPD patrol vehicle shows up and more officers begin to assist in the arrest of the victim who was never resisting. Meanwhile Hernandez is heard and seen in the video yelling at the witnesses, “Get inside! He’s the most friendly guy. He ***ing attacked me! Hey! Get inside NOW! You’re not police! Get inside!” Hernandez is then seen dismissing the witnesses with his hand.

The unnamed suspect was released from custody from LAPD Hollenbeck police station pending further investigation, and Hernandez has been assigned to home duty. An LAPD statement said that under the direction of the Chief of LAPD Michael Moore, Hernandez will be investigated by the department’s Force Investigation Division.

Centro CSO, a Boyle Heights organization that has been fighting against police terror since the 1950s, has formed a petition to demand the firing of LAPD cop Frank Hernandez.

“Hernandez has killed before but LAPD allowed him to patrol and continue abusing residents,” says longtime Chicano activist Carlos Montes.

Montes is referring to past shootings by killer cop Frank Hernandez. He shot a Black woman in 1999, an 18-year-old in 2008, and killed Manuel Jamines, a Guatemalan day laborer, in September 2010. In none of these cases was Hernandez fired, and no charges were ever brought on him. For over 20 years, Hernandez has roamed the street committing atrocities.

“Since no LAPD camera caught the most recent incident, we are left to wonder how many more similar attacks have happened without us knowing about them,” says Centro CSO member Luis Sifuentes. “So no matter where you live, if you witness any cop doing something suspicious, you have a right to film them.” New laws require the LAPD to release video evidence, including body-worn and dashcam video footage, to the public within 45 days after a use-of-force incident.

“We must fight back against LAPD attacking Chicanos and Latinos in Boyle Heights and East LA,” says Carlos Montes. “Chief of LAPD Michael Moore, fire Frank Hernandez!”

To sign the petition go here https://tinyurl.com/yc86uorl. To reach Centro CSO (323) 943-2030, CentroCSO@gmail.com, facebook.com/CentroCSO

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