Los Angeles, CA – The Mendez family and their attorney Arnold Casillas held a press conference, Jan. 11, to announce the filing of a federal lawsuit for the Feb. 6, 2016 killing of their 16-year-old son Jose Mendez by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Juan Mendez spoke of his murdered son Jose, saying that he loved soccer and hamburgers. Juan Mendez displayed an urn with the ashes of Jose saying, “This is all I have left of my son. I want justice – these police who assassinated my son must go to jail.”

Attorney Arnold Casillas gave specific facts and showed a video of the Boyle Heights killing. A video from across the street on apartment building shows Jose Mendez pulling over into drive way and the LAPD quickly exiting police car and start firing at Mendez, who was still sitting and strapped with seat belt in car. The police officers are Josue Merida and Jeremy Wagner.

A witness said he heard no orders to exit the car or for raised hands, only the loud burst of multiple gunshots. Jose Mendez was instantly killed, with 19 bullet wounds to his body, mostly to the left side shoulder and face. Part of his face was destroyed. The video shows the police taking the dead body out of the driver seat. The police report states that they cut the seat belt and dragged the lifeless body about 30 feet way from car onto the side walk and handcuffed him. Police then stood over body about 10 minutes. Later medical vehicle arrives but no aid was ever given.

The police version is that Jose was stopped for driving a reported stolen car, and that he “brandished” a shotgun. In 2014 these same two officers killed someone with the same story, that he “brandished” a gun.

Josue Merida and Jeremy Wagner must be taken off the street, fired and prosecuted – they are killers. The two policemen turned off their body video cameras before the shooting. These two cops are killers and they are now back on the street patrolling our community.

At an LAPD Police Commission hearing of Jan. 10, on the agenda was an Officer Involved Shooting report from Chief Charlie Beck. During the public comment period, Sol Marquez with Centro CSO called for the prosecution of the police. During the closed hearing they determined that the shooting was “within policy.” The commission bought into the lies of the two police officers and Chief Beck fed them their lies to consider a shooting “within policy.”

The Los Angeles District Attorney Jackey Lacey has also not prosecuted these killer cops or the many others. There were 19 killings by police in Los Angeles in 2016; six in Boyle Heights/East Los Angeles alone. The Mendez family and Attorney Arnoldo Casillas are in unity with Centro CSO are now calling for the U.S. federal government to intervene and conduct a federal investigation on the Jose Mendez killing, and the others, in Boyle Heights.

Centro CSO has organized with the families of Jose Mendez; Edwin Rodriguez, who was killed Feb. 14, 2016; Arturo Valdez, killed April 6; and Jessie Romero, killed August 9, to demand justice, and that the killer cops be fired and prosecuted.

Centro CSO is calling for a mass march on Jan. 20, to fight the coming Trump attacks. Demands include “Legalization, No Deportations and Jail the Killer Cops.” The rally will assemble at 11 a.m. at Mariachi Plaza and will march to LA City Hall.

Chicanos have a long history of organizing resistance to police killing and abuse. Since the 1848 Mexican American war – when the now-U.S. Southwest was occupied, we faced lynching and killings of the native indigenous and Chicano population. We have and will continue to fight back!

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #California #JoseMendez #PoliceBbrutality

Boyle Heights, CA – A great show of unity and solidarity against police abuse took place in Boyle Heights, Feb. 12, with a spirited protest of over 50 people. The Mendez family, friends, neighbors, supporters, activists and Centro CSO members protested at LAPD Hollenbeck police station over the Feb. 6 killing of Jose Mendez, a Boyle Heights teen. Protesters demanded justice for Jose Mendez and an end to police killings of our Chicano youth.

The Mendez family asked Centro CSO to organize the protest to get justice for Jose Mendez and to prevent this from happening to other families. Centro CSO united with the family and quickly organized the protest, which was viewed all over Southern California in local media outlets.

CSO has a long history of fighting against the police brutality of Chicanos, including responding to the historic 1951 Bloody Christmas case.

The protesters joined the Mendez family with friends neighbors and supporters. Many students from Roosevelt high school also came out. They chanted, “Ya basta! No más muertes!” and “Que queremos? Justicia! Cuando? Ahora!” and “Aquí estamos y no nos vamos.”

Sol Marquez with Centro CSO (Community Service Organization) spoke to the crowd. Marquez stated, “Today LAPD heard us loud and proud, Boyle Heights will continue demanding justice for Jose Mendez. It could have been any of us Chicanos, gunned down by these racist cops.”

Jose Mendez's father, Juan, thanked the protest for their support and said, “I fled from Mexico for the U.S. thinking there would be less violence. But there is more violence here. The police killed my son. I hope there is justice and I hope they are punished. I don’t want this to happen to other families.”

Carlos Montes, veteran Chicano revolutionary and organizer with Centro CSO, said, “The anger and frustration in the community turned in to a militant protest to denounce this brutal killing of a young Chicano. This protest is carrying on the long tradition of resistance to racist oppression in Boyle Heights such as police abuse, and extreme poverty. We will continue to fight back in our struggle for self-determination.”

In the center of Boyle Heights, on First Street, the protesters continued chanting. Drivers passing honked their horns in support of the protesters. Police helicopters hovered overhead. The protesters kept chanting, while people came up to speak through the bullhorn.

The family urged for help with funeral costs. They will be hosting a car wash fundraiser this weekend. The community is planning its next steps to fight for Jose Mendez and the family has retained an attorney.

The LAPD and other police departments in Los Angeles County have a long history of harassing, abusing and killing Chicanos and Blacks. In the mid 1990s, the LA County sheriffs killed Smokey Jimenez. As a result, the Ramona Gardens community rose up in angry protests. Several other Chicanos have been killed in recent years in the Ramona Gardens Housing Projects of Boyle Heights, including Maurico Cornejo, who was killed by Officer Matthew Meneses. Other well-known cases are those of David Angel Ortiz, a teen shot in the back by a Los Angeles County sheriff; David Dominquez, who was brutally kidnapped and killed by the San Gabriel police; and Manuel Jamines, a Guatemalan Mayan day laborer shot in the head Sept. 5, 2010 by LAPD in the Pico Union community. Jamines’s murder sparked a rebellion and mass protests.

Besides these murders, on May 1, 2007, the LAPD attacked a peaceful festival for immigrant rights.

#BoyleHeightsCA #OppressedNationalities #PoliceBrutality #ChicanoLatino #CentroCSO #Antiracism #JoseMendez

Los Angeles, CA – On Feb. 6, a 16-year-old Chicano teen, Jose Mendez, was shot and killed by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) by cops from Hollenbeck Division in the Boyle Heights community, located in the East Los Angeles area.

LAPD media releases have divulged very little information other than the assertion Mendez had a gun, was driving a stolen vehicle and a confrontation occurred. No details of the incident have been released, such as why the police initiated the shooting and killed the teenager. The LAPD has not stated if the teen was a threat to anyone.

“The state killed him,” said Juan Mendez, father of Jose Mendez . Juan Mendez, who not too long ago celebrated more than two decades of emigrating to the U.S. from Mexico, is now mourning the death of his son Jose. “I want justice for my son, I don’t want this to happen to anyone else and I want the police to be brought to justice.”

Brian Mendez, one of eight siblings of Jose Mendez, states he called his brother’s cell phone all of Saturday (the day his brother was shot) and added, “And no one answered. The cops still have Jose’s phone, it hasn’t been returned to us. Why did the cops not reach out to us until days after killing my little brother?”

There are still many unanswered questions in the case. Chicanos know all too well that LAPD has a history of killing and brutalizing our youth. The Boyle Heights community has a long history of struggling against police abuse and for immigrant rights. Many protests have been initiated on the East Side. In the historic 1951 Bloody Christmas case, police jailers got drunk during the holidays and beat the jailed prisoners. The CSO (Community Service Organization) took up that case and had the police fired and prosecuted.

“Nowadays cops are programmed to shoot,” says Leslie Tostado, a childhood friend of Jose Mendez. “Where’s the justice if no one will be held responsible for killing us?”

“I want justice, and I want people to join my family and me this Friday to protest my sons killing,” says Juan Mendez. “We need help paying for my son’s services, and we need answers not only for our own peace of mind, but for us all.”

A protest is planned for this Friday, Feb. 12, at 4:00 p.m. at LAPD Hollenbeck Division, 2111 East First Street, LA.

Centro CSO is coordinating the event with Jose Mendez’s family and loved ones. For more information see Facebook: Centro CSO, call 323-943-2030, or contact centrocso@gmail.com

#LosAngelesCA #ChicanoLatino #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #BoyleHeights #JoseMendez