[http://www.timesheraldonline.com/rss/ci_17238770]
About 20 people gathered at the Solano County Justice Center on Friday to "demand answers" regarding the investigation into the death of Guy Jarreau Jr., killed last month in an officer-involved shooting in Vallejo.
At about 1 p.m., protesters held signs that said "Stop police terror" and "Stop police brutality, justice for Guy Jarreau."
Jarreau, a 34-year-old New Orleans native who had been living in Vallejo for more than eight years, was mortally wounded in an alley by an officer on Dec. 11. He died on the way to the hospital.
Friends say he was with some Napa Valley College classmates making an anti-violence music video.
Vallejo police officers said they came to the scene in response to a 911 call about a man brandishing a gun near some teenagers in the 2100 block of Sonoma Boulevard. Police said Jarreau ran into a nearby alley and was shot in self defense.
On Friday, rally spokeswoman Verrose Hill, who said he was Jarreau's friend and fellow student of Napa Valley College, read a list of items that protestors wanted released. The list included statements from the Vallejo officer involved in the shooting, medics and eye witnesses as well as the 911 dispatch recording, a video camera and tape.
"If they had done nothing wrong, then they have nothing to hide," Hill said.
The participants in Friday's rally included Vallejo residents, Napa Valley College students and members of the Diablo Valley College Students Democrats Society. Jarreau's family members and friends, who were involved in the music video, were not present.
"We tried to call them, but I think they are still in mourning," Hill said.
Hill said she did not expect any immediate action.
"Our goal is to stir up people and get the gears turning," she said. "Hopefully, we'll get the answer soon."
Despite discussions of moving the rally into the Justice Center, the rally remained outdoors and peaceful.
"We just want to make sure their actions remain peaceful, while exercising their right (to assembly)," Solano County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Gary Faulkner said.
Solano County District Attorney Don du Bain said his office just received the investigation reports from Vallejo Police Department on Thursday.
"It is still under review by my office, and we will come to our own independent conclusion," du Bain said.
Vallejo Police investigators and six district attorney's investigators worked together since shortly after the shooting to determine what happened, du Bain said.
When asked when his office would issue its findings, du Bain said it was too early to speculate, since "it all depends on the length and complexity of the case."
All fatal and potentially fatal incidents involving police officers are investigated by the district attorney's office, he added.
---
Students and activists hold a rally in front to the Solano County Hall of Justice in demanding the investigation into a fatal shooting by Vallejo Police. (Chris Riley/Tmes-Herald, Vallejo)
2011-01-28 "Guy Jarreau--Protest Rally" by Marc Garmen from "Vallejo Independent Bulliten" online journal[http://ibvallejo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1054&Itemid=1]
On December 11, 2010 Guy Jarreau was shot and killed by Vallejo police. Many questions remain unanswered. According to witnesses, Jarreau was involved in filming an anti-violence video with friends on the streets of Vallejo when he was shot. He was also carrying a gun...allegedly a prop for the video.
Was the shooting of Guy Jarreau justified or the result of a series of unfortunate circumstances?
Footage from the protest rally in front of the Solano County Justice Building on 321 Tuolumne St. in Vallejo. January 28, 2011.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI1rzaCdXvw]
2011-01-28 "Supporters Of A Vallejo Man Fatally Shot By Police Rally At Courthouse" from "KTVU channel 2 News"
[http://www.ktvu.com/news/26658662/detail.html]
VALLEJO, Calif. -- About 30 people gathered at the Solano County Courthouse in Vallejo Friday afternoon to call for a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by a Vallejo police officer in December.
The crowd asked the Solano County District Attorney's Office to thoroughly review all the evidence, including video taken near Kentucky Street and Sonoma Boulevard, where 34-year-old Guy Jarreau Jr. was shot on Dec. 11. He was pronounced dead at the John Muir Medical Center.
Vallejo police said Jarreau was reaching for a handgun when he was shot by a police officer, who has not been identified.
Verrose Hill, a spokeswoman for those who rallied today, said Vallejo police have withheld videotape evidence. She said eyewitness testimony indicates Jarreau kept the handgun in his belt and had only a green plastic cup in his hand.
Vallejo police posted on the department website video that they said was taken before the shooting that shows Jarreau "brandishing" a revolver. They said they retrieved the video from a camera used by someone who was filming Jarreau and others who had gathered outside a tattoo shop at 2118 Sonoma Blvd. before the shooting.
Jarreau's friends and family members said Jarreau and the others were filming an anti-violence music video in the area.
Police went to the scene after the tattoo shop owner called them to report that a large group of young African American males was outside his shop and one of them was flashing a gun.
Police said Jarreau ran down an alley when officers arrived. As the officer who pursued Jarreau turned the corner, Jarreau was facing him and was trying to draw a gun from his pocket, police said. The officer fired in self-defense, according to police.
Hill said about a dozen people spoke at the 90-minute rally this afternoon. She said Jarreau's supporters sent emails and letters to the district attorney's office, but they have not received a response.
Solano County District Attorney Don du Bain said this afternoon his office received the Vallejo Police Department's report about the incident Thursday.
"We intend to complete a thorough investigation, and I will be involved in the investigation," du Bain said.
He could not estimate how long the investigation would take.
No comments:
Post a Comment