LA police quell 2nd protest over fatal shooting

AP

8 09 2010

LOS ANGELES — Demonstrators pelted police for a second night in a poor immigrant neighborhood following the fatal shooting of a Guatemalan day laborer who allegedly threatened people with a knife and then turned the weapon on a responding officer.

Officers fired at least two rounds of foam projectiles at demonstrators Tuesday night and 22 people were arrested, mainly for failure to disperse and unlawful assembly, Officer Karen Rayner said.

The disturbance erupted despite police Chief Charlie Beck’s pledge to conduct a full investigation into the Sunday afternoon shooting of Manuel Jamines, 37, in the Westlake district near MacArthur Park, a neighborhood packed with recent immigrants from Central America.

An estimated 300 protesters who gathered outside the local police station hurled eggs, rocks and bottles and set a trash bin on fire. Others dropped household items from apartment buildings.

« People were throwing televisions, air conditioning units, miscellaneous furniture and other objects from the windows, » Lt. Cory Palka said.

At least one officer and a Univision reporter were slightly injured by thrown or slingshot-propelled objects, police told City News Service. A man who fell off his bicycle suffered a head injury.

In Monday night’s violence, three officers were slightly injured by thrown objects and four people were arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor inciting a riot, Officer Bruce Borihanh said. Police said most of Monday’s trouble involved a group handing out revolutionary fliers.

In the wake of the protests, authorities scheduled a community meeting for Wednesday evening at a school.

Beck said the Jamines shooting occurred after someone flagged down three bicycle officers to tell them a man was threatening people with a knife.

The officers approached the suspect and told him in Spanish and English to put down the weapon. Instead, Jamines raised the knife above his head and lunged at Officer Frank Hernandez, a 13-year veteran of the department, Beck said.

Eyewitness accounts from six civilians, nine police personnel and two fire department staff indicate Hernandez fired twice « in immediate defense of life, » Beck said. Jamines died at the scene.

Investigators recovered a bloody, 6-inch knife at the scene but didn’t know where the blood came from.

« This was a very brief moment in time, just 40 seconds between first contact and the time of the shooting, » Beck said.

Beck said the timeline was based on preliminary interviews. He said the department’s Force Investigation Division will conduct a thorough, transparent probe.

The three officers involved in the shooting have been temporarily reassigned.

Jamines had a wife and three children — ages 13, 6 and 8 — in his hometown of Mazatenango, Guatemala, according to his cousin Juan Jaminez, 38. He came to the United States six years ago to find work and spent most of his time looking for jobs in a Home Depot parking lot near his home.

Jamines was drunk but not dangerous, his cousin and neighbors said.

« Killing a drunk isn’t right, » said Juan Jaminez, also a day laborer. He and others described Jamines as a friendly, hardworking man who liked to drink on the weekends but wasn’t violent.

« The officer who did this should be subject to discipline and a thorough investigation, » said Juan Flores, 39, a restaurant cook who knew Jamines.

Flores said the officers should have used a non-lethal weapon.

Beck said the officer involved in the shooting didn’t have a baton or stun gun. He said bicycle officers frequently do not carry the selection of non-lethal weapons found in patrol cars.

Juana Neri, 57, a Mexican immigrant housewife who lives nearby, pushed her grocery bag in a baby stroller past the corner where Jamines was killed.

« It’s bad, what the police did, but what’s worse is the silly stuff that people were doing here, » she said, referring to Monday’s violence. « We are not in our country, and with the problems that Hispanic immigrants have these days, it’s better not to cause problems. »

MacArthur Park was the site of a May 1, 2007, clash in which police pummeled immigration rights marchers and reporters with batons and shot rubber bullets into the crowd. Police cited significant command failures in the response to a confrontation with a group of « agitators » that triggered the sweep through the park, and a deputy chief at the scene quickly resigned after being demoted.

The area also has a significant gang violence problem. In September 2007, an infant in a stroller was slain and a vendor was wounded when gang members opened fire on the street merchant because he refused to pay a weekly tax to the gang.

Second night of LA clashes after immigrant killed

AFP

8 09 2010

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles riot police arrested 22 protestors and fired rubber bullets in a second night of clashes after a Guatemalan immigrant was shot dead in a confrontation with officers, officials said early Wednesday.

Angry mostly Hispanic demonstrators hurled rocks, bottles and eggs at the local police station in the MacArthur Park area near downtown Los Angeles, according to an AFP photographer on the scene.

Those arrested were detained on charges including unlawful assembly and failing to disperse after the violence, said Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer Karen Rayner.

The black-clad riot police fired rubber bullets and non-lethal bean-bags to disperse the crowd. No protestors or police were injured, but one person was struck by a slingshot projectile, according to police.

About 300 people earlier blocked a nearby road junction, and police declared an unlawful assembly before moving in. On Monday night there were some 100 protestors.

The fresh unrest — in a city where dozens of people died in race riots in 1992 after the notorious police beating of a young black man, Rodney King — came hours after the Los Angeles police chief defended his officers.

Speaking a day after protestors burned mattresses and other rubbish Monday night, police chief Charlie Beck said the officers involved had been defending themselves in the shooting Sunday.

Thirty-seven year-old construction worker Manuel Jamines was shot dead after threatening a passer-by with a knife. He ignored orders from bicycle officers to drop his weapon, instead lunging at them, a spokesman said.

« He was ordered several times in English and Spanish to drop the knife, and failed to comply, » said Beck.

« The suspect then raised the knife over his head and advanced on officers, at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred. The suspect fell to the ground where he was taken into custody without further incident. »

Jamines was pronounced dead at the scene, he added.

The comments came after four people were arrested and a policeman injured in clashes with some 100 protestors late Monday.

Police maintained a « heavy » presence in the area Tuesday. Some 50 people held a peaceful vigil during the day, when the protest remained peaceful, before descending into violence in the evening.

Protestors insisted Jamines was drunk but not dangerous. « This guy didn’t speak good English, he was just walking around, » said Carlos Ortega, 27. « The police, they put him on the ground and shot him, » he added.

100 protesters throw rocks, eggs at LAPD station

Associated Press

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Lt. Andrew Neiman says no arrests have been made, but officers are trying to move the demonstrators away from the police station.

Police brass have promised a full investigation into the death of Manuel Jamines, an immigrant day laborer who was shot twice by a Rampart police officer on Sunday afternoon.

Chief Charlie Beck says several eyewitnesses indicate the officer who shot Jamines acted « in immediate defense of life. »

On Monday demonstrators pelted police with rocks and bottles and four protesters were arrested.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police Chief Charlie Beck on Tuesday promised a thorough, transparent investigation into an officer’s shooting of a knife-wielding man whose death sparked a protest in a poor immigrant neighborhood.

At a late-afternoon news conference, Beck said only 40 seconds went by between the time officers made contact with Guatemalan immigrant Manuel Jamines and the moment an officer shot him twice.

The Sunday shooting prompted demonstrations the following day near MacArthur Park, a densely packed neighborhood west of downtown populated with recent immigrants from Central America.

Four people were arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor inciting a riot, and others threw rocks and bottles at police, slightly injuring three officers, Officer Bruce Borihanh said.

Beck said the Sunday incident started when someone flagged down three bicycle officers to tell them a man was threatening people with a knife.

The officers approached the suspect and told him in Spanish and English to put down the knife, Beck said. Instead, Jamines raised the knife above his head and lunged at Officer Frank Hernandez, a 13-year veteran of the department.

Eyewitness accounts from six civilians, nine police personnel and two fire department staff indicate Hernandez fired twice « in immediate defense of life, » Beck said. Jamines, 37, died at the scene.

Investigators recovered a bloody, 6-inch knife at the scene but didn’t know where the blood came from.

« This was a very brief moment in time, just 40 seconds between first contact and the time of the shooting, » Beck said. « He rushed the officers with a knife so he’s controlling the timeframe. Sometimes officers can’t create time or distance. »

Beck said the timeline was based on preliminary interviews, and the department’s Force Investigation Division will conduct an exhaustive probe. The three officers involved in the shooting have been temporarily reassigned during the investigation.

The crowd that gathered at the scene Tuesday afternoon was peaceful but still angry. Jamines’ neighbors described him as drunk but not dangerous.

« Killing a drunk isn’t right, » said Jamines’ cousin Juan Jaminez, 38, a day laborer. He and others described Jamines as a friendly, hardworking man who liked to drink on the weekends but wasn’t violent.

Jamines had a wife and three children — ages 13, 6 and 8 — in his hometown of Mazatenango, Guatemala, his cousin said.

He came to the United States six years ago to find work as a day laborer and spent most of his time looking for jobs in the parking lot of the Home Depot a block away.

« The officer who did this should be subject to discipline and a thorough investigation, » said Juan Flores, 39, a cook at a downtown restaurant who knew Jamines. « We want to know, is he on vacation or is he fired? »

Flores said the officers should have used a non-lethal weapon to subdue Jamines.

Beck said the officer involved in the shooting didn’t have a baton or stun gun with him. He said bicycle officers frequently do not carry the selection of non-lethal weapons found in patrol cars.

On Tuesday evening, dozens of people lit prayer candles at the site where Jamines was killed.

Demonstrators had hung posters with Spanish slogans that said: « The people demand accountability, » »No more murders, » and « The police murdered a day laborer and we demand justice. »

Juana Neri, 57, a Mexican immigrant housewife who lives nearby, pushed her grocery bag in a baby stroller past the corner where Jamines was killed.

« It’s bad, what the police did, but what’s worse is the silly stuff that people were doing here, » she said, referring to Monday’s violence. « We are not in our country, and with the problems that Hispanic immigrants have these days, it’s better not to cause problems. »

Lt. Andrew Neiman said Monday’s peaceful candlelight vigil escalated to violence because a group handing out fliers for the Revolutionary Communist Party rallied the crowd with a bullhorn until the police declared an unlawful assembly.

« They were antagonistic, vocal and derogatory to the police, » Neiman said. « They tie themselves to immigrants’ rights protests, and people who live there say they’re not from the community. »

A telephone listing for the Revolutionary Communist Party could not be found.

Beck said the brawling was caused by several factors.

« First, we understand this is an emotional issue and we need to get the facts out. Second, there’s the outside agitators. And finally, it was the third day of a three-day weekend and some people in the crowd had been drinking, » he said.

The police union issued a statement Tuesday calling the shooting a « tragic incident » and saying community activists were trying to stir up controversy.

« Getting drunk and threatening bystanders and then LAPD officers with a knife is dangerous and self-destructive in any language, » the Los Angeles Police Protective League’s statement said. « This was not and should not be a controversial shooting. »

MacArthur Park was the site of a May 1, 2007, clash in which police officers pummeled immigration rights marchers and reporters with batons and shot rubber bullets into the crowd. Dozens of protesters and journalists were injured. Police said it began with a group of « agitators » outside the park throwing objects at officers.

The embarrassing incident cost the city more than $13 million in lawsuit settlements. Police were retrained on crowd control, forming skirmish lines, using batons in a crowd and using extraction teams to identify and arrest violent demonstrators.

Protestors clash after LA police kill immigrant

AFP

7 09 2010

LOS ANGELES — Four people were arrested and a policeman injured in clashes with protestors, after police shot dead a Guatemalan immigrant in Los Angeles, police said Tuesday.

Police maintained a « heavy » presence in the MacArthur Park near the city center after more than 100 people took to the streets late Monday, triggering clashes with officers in riot gear following the weekend killing.

« They initiated a confrontation with officers directing traffic by throwing rocks, bottles and eggs at their vehicles, » said a spokesman for the local police station, which was also targeted by protestors.

« Heavy patrols » were ordered in the area throughout the day Tuesday, he added.

The unrest in LA — where dozens of people died in race riots in 1992 after the notorious police beating of a young black man, Rodney King — came after police shot dead a Guatemalan construction worker, Manuel Jamines, on Sunday.

Police said the 37-year-old was threatening a passer-by with a knife, and ignored orders from bicycle officers to drop his weapon, instead lunging at them, a spokesman said.

A few dozen protestors from LA’s huge Hispanic community took to the streets during the day Monday, but the demonstration escalated into clashes Monday evening.

Some set rubbish and mattresses on fire. By early Tuesday four people had been arrested, while one officer was injured after being hit by two bottles, and another was struck by a rock, the police spokesman said.

Protesters said Jamines was drunk but not dangerous. « This guy didn’t speak good English, he was just walking around, » said Carlos Ortega, 27. « The police, they put him on the ground and shot him, » he added.

Muerte de inmigrante desencadena disturbios en Los Angeles

prensa-latina.cu

martes, 07 de septiembre de 2010

La muerte de un inmigrante guatemalteco a manos de agentes de la policía de Los Angeles desencadenó fuertes disturbios raciales en esa ciudad del oeste de Estados Unidos.

Imágenes de la televisión local muestran a manifestantes arrojando botellas y otros objetos a los uniformados durante una manifestación realizada en la noche del lunes tras la muerte de Manuel Jamines, un obrero de la construcción de 37 años de edad que tenía tres hijos en Guatemala.

Los manifestantes provenían de un lugar cercano al Parque MacArthur, donde hay una gran concentración de centroamericanos.

Según el teniente Andrew Neiman, uno de tres policías en la zona del incidente disparó contra Jamines cuando este no respondió a requerimientos de los agentes.

Hasta ahora la policía detuvo a cuatro de unos cien manifestantes que quemaron colchones y arrojaron botellas durante la demostración. Los participantes acusan a la policía de abusar del uso de la fuerza.

Mientras tanto, Juan Sánchez, un vecino del barrio, denunció que durante la acción contra Jamines un agente lo derribó al suelo y le disparó, lo que motiva la repulsa de los residentes del área.

Fuentes consultadas señalan que las diferencias interraciales hacen de Los Angeles un polvorín y recuerdan los disturbios de 1992, cuando un jurado integrado solo por blancos absolvió a cuatro policías que fueron filmados mientras golpeaban salvajemente al taxista negro Rodney King.

Los Angeles es una ciudad con un alto por ciento de población inmigrante, principalmente mexicanos y centroamericanos

~ par Alain Bertho sur 8 septembre 2010.

Publié dans émeutes, riots