A large number of people have held protests in the US state of California against alleged police brutality and racism being practiced against Hispanic immigrants.
The demonstrations in central California city of Salinas against the fatal shootings of three Latino men since March, including one captured on video this week, began on Tuesday and continued Wednesday night.
The most recent police officer-involved shooting in Salinas happened on Tuesday and ended in the death of 44-year-old Carlos Mejia. Shorty after, protesters gathered at Salinas City Hall to express anger over the shooting, the third one in Salinas this year.
A video of Tuesday’s shooting was taken by a 19-year-old criminal justice student and posted on YouTube.
The first officer-involved shooting this year occurred on March 20, when police fatally shot a man with a gun under his sweatshirt in a restaurant parking lot, police said.
Another police-related fatal shooting took place on May 9, when 2 officers shot Osman Hernandez, 26. He died at the scene. On Wednesday, Hernandez’s family filed a claim against the city seeking $2 million in damages.
“There is something seriously wrong. It’s horrific. These men were shot down in cold blood,” Hernandez’s family attorney Christopher Dolan told the KSBW station.
The shooting incidents, particularly the most recent shooting on Tuesday, have spurred anxiety and anger in the east Salinas neighborhood of Alisal. Residents have launched a petition calling for an end to what they say is police brutality in their neighborhood.
Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin on Thursday sought to calm community tensions over the fatal shootings of Latino immigrants.
McMillin said at a news conference his office would complete its investigation of both shootings and then forward them to the FBI and US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division for further assessment.
