By Nicole Chavez
CNN
San Francisco — Ashley and Michelle Monterrosa took a deep breath and looked toward a group of mothers and siblings who understood the outrage and sorrow that led them to this moment. A few feet away, dozens of photos of people killed by police covered the plaza. A photo of their brother, Sean, stood right in the middle.
“We want justice for Sean, and we want that justice to mean that this can't happen to anyone anywhere else,” Ashley Monterrosa, 21, said standing on a stage in front of the San Francisco City Hall building earlier this month.
“And best believe we're pushing to be the last family affected by the Vallejo Police Department.”
A week after George Floyd was killed last year, the Monterrosa sisters drove from hospital to hospital in the Northern California city of Vallejo, struggling to get answers about the well-being of their brother after Sean’s girlfriend called them in the middle of the night crying. Several hours passed before they learned that Sean had been shot and killed by a police officer in the parking lot of a Walgreen’s store. Police said the officer mistook a hammer in his pocket for a gun.
The 22-year-old was just one of more than 2,000 Latinos who experts estimate have been killed by police or died while in law enforcement custody in recent years. They are often left out of the debate over police brutality. Since Sean’s death on June 2, 2020, his sisters have set aside their grief to push for police reform out of love for their brother.
San Francisco — Ashley and Michelle Monterrosa took a deep breath and looked toward a group of mothers and siblings who understood the outrage and sorrow that led them to this moment. A few feet away, dozens of photos of people killed by police covered the plaza. A photo of their brother, Sean, stood right in the middle.
“We want justice for Sean, and we want that justice to mean that this can't happen to anyone anywhere else,” Ashley Monterrosa, 21, said standing on a stage in front of the San Francisco City Hall building earlier this month.
“And best believe we're pushing to be the last family affected by the Vallejo Police Department.”
A week after George Floyd was killed last year, the Monterrosa sisters drove from hospital to hospital in the Northern California city of Vallejo, struggling to get answers about the well-being of their brother after Sean’s girlfriend called them in the middle of the night crying. Several hours passed before they learned that Sean had been shot and killed by a police officer in the parking lot of a Walgreen’s store. Police said the officer mistook a hammer in his pocket for a gun.
The 22-year-old was just one of more than 2,000 Latinos who experts estimate have been killed by police or died while in law enforcement custody in recent years. They are often left out of the debate over police brutality. Since Sean’s death on June 2, 2020, his sisters have set aside their grief to push for police reform out of love for their brother.
But they are also fueled by anger over the decades of police brutality in the Latino community — something that persists to this day with the recent deaths of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago and Mario Gonzalez in the nearby Alameda, California.
By forming bonds with long time activists and grieving families from communities of color around the United States, the Monterrosa sisters have emerged as part of a new wave of Latinos claiming their seat in the fight against police brutality.
While Black man and children are subject to use of force at a highly disproportionate rate than others, studies have shown Latinos also fare worse than Whites and face bias by police officers.
Black people and Latinos were more likely than White people to experience at least one type of force during contacts with police, according to 2018 figures by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.
In Arizona, traffic stops made by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies involving Hispanic drivers were more likely to last longer and result in a citation, arrest, or search than stops involving White drivers, according to an annual report released earlier this month. Maricopa Sheriff PAul Penzone said the findings were consistent with past studies and “identify possible systemic racial bias,” in the agency’s patrol unit. The sheriff noted the agency has been providing extensive training “related to constitutional, bias-free policing” that includes workshops, videos and periodic roll call briefings.
There is no federal database collecting data on police violence but in recent years, a number of activists and media outlets have taken it upon themselves to create one. https://www.csusb.edu/lead/raza-database-project
A group of researchers, scholars, activists and family members of Latinos killed by police recently found that an an estimated 2,653 Latinos were killed by police or died while in custody since 2014.
By forming bonds with long time activists and grieving families from communities of color around the United States, the Monterrosa sisters have emerged as part of a new wave of Latinos claiming their seat in the fight against police brutality.
How Latinos fit in the national debate over police brutality
While Black man and children are subject to use of force at a highly disproportionate rate than others, studies have shown Latinos also fare worse than Whites and face bias by police officers.
Black people and Latinos were more likely than White people to experience at least one type of force during contacts with police, according to 2018 figures by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.
In Arizona, traffic stops made by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies involving Hispanic drivers were more likely to last longer and result in a citation, arrest, or search than stops involving White drivers, according to an annual report released earlier this month. Maricopa Sheriff PAul Penzone said the findings were consistent with past studies and “identify possible systemic racial bias,” in the agency’s patrol unit. The sheriff noted the agency has been providing extensive training “related to constitutional, bias-free policing” that includes workshops, videos and periodic roll call briefings.
There is no federal database collecting data on police violence but in recent years, a number of activists and media outlets have taken it upon themselves to create one. https://www.csusb.edu/lead/raza-database-project
A group of researchers, scholars, activists and family members of Latinos killed by police recently found that an an estimated 2,653 Latinos were killed by police or died while in custody since 2014.
To read rest of story, click on link: https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2021/06/us/sean-monterrosa-cnnphotos/
16 comments:
I heard there is a cop that notches his pistola and everybody keeps quiet
Mexico's legacy of slavery started almost 100 years before slavery was introduced in what is now The United States of America.
Slaves were introduced into Mexico in 1520 and slaves were not introduced into the U.S. until 1610.
Mexico's legacy of slavery shows that of all of Spain's colonies Mexico was invested the most in slavery. 200,000 is the conservative estimate for the amount of enslaved Africans during the 16th century legacy of slavery in what is now Mexico.
Mexico needs to own up to the inhumane practice of slavery that was what common for 300 years in Mexico.
WHAT about my Brother who was shot and killed By Brownsville Police Department and left two die in his car on Boca Chica Blvd...there was no justice forbthe Officers involved. HE was shot and killed by a police Sergeant and two other Officers as he tried to give himself up..There was no justice for him just a huge cover up by Brownsville Police Department..
Please people see the video of the shooting how could the Officers been found not guilty of taking his life!!
Juan this has being going for years and decades here in brownsville and Cameron county nothing new, and there is always cover ups involved.
June 22, 2021 at 1:49 PM
In the mid 60's some cop shot a 13 year old hispanic youth, shot on the back he was visiting a friend he was NO BILL, people saw the evidence and this gringo cop was NOT charged pinche pendejo at 1:49 I hope this never happens to you or your family maybe you are a cop
There were marches all over the valley but at that time gringos ruled, now coco cops rule el sindicato
Juanito maybe you can come up with a list of citizens here that have been killed by cops or law enforcement.
When you stupid batos have a knife or gun in your hand, expect to be SHOT. Why is SCUM always a victim? Need to quit WHINING Mexicans; that’s all you Mexicans know how to do...wah,wah, wah.
Hispanic parents have to talk to their children.
Do not get stopped by the police.
Do not be friendly with the vatos locos.
Do not do favors for friends (drive the car, while I do bad things).
Hispanics have to be street smart.
You have to have a District Attorney!!!
Juan i remember in the 1970's there was an incident here in Brownsville that involved a sheriff deputy employee Nem Bryant who killed a young man in an alley, bryant said young man had a gun but it was a stick, cant remember the young mans name but bryant was never charged with anything. And i am sure there are many more, Brown Lives Matter Too.
Bryant shot him, he was dating his daughter. I believe it happened in the riverside area.
June 22, 2021 at 5:46 PM
I hope you're not a cop idiota most likely you are if not you qualify
Criminals come in all colors shades shapes and sizes
Make it easier for police officers to get fired, making their records more transparent, abolishing qualified immunity.
Nemecio (Nem) Bryant shot a 16 year old kid in the head about 70 or 71. He was No Billed by a Cameron County Grand Jury but was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for "Violating the kids civil right by shooting him in the head with a gun". Bryant employed Joe Walsh a local attorney and the case went to trial in Federal Court, where he was acquitted by a jury. I had first hand experience with this case.
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