Via @LAPeoplesMedia Friends and family of Eduardo Bermudez and Ricardo Avelar-Lara will be gathering at the corner of Hillview and Verona in East LA (90022) where the two were shot to death by LA County Sheriffs Deputies at 2am on Sunday, November 16th. Following a press conference, the community will then march to the spots of former fatal shootings of East LA residents by Sheriffs Deputies ending at the site of Ruben Salazer’s death in 1970. Community organizations united with people who knew the victims – including their family members, teachers and co-workers – are demanding that the deputies involved in the fatal shooting of Bermudez and Avelar-Lara be immediately removed from duty pending an investigation, and that District Attorney Jackie Lacey and State Attorney General Kamala Harris thoroughly investigate the use of force in this case, prosecute deputy misconduct when warranted, and appoint Special Prosecutors to investigate law enforcement use of force moving forward. We will gathering at the intersection of Hillview and Verona in East LA (90022) for press conference followed by march to the site on Whittier Blvd. of the 1970 killing of Ruben Salazar by Sheriff Deputy Thomas Wilson who fired a tear gas canister into the Silver Dollar Café striking Salazar in the head. (At the time, the café was crowded with people who had attended a the National Chicano Moratorium march calling for an end to the Vietnam War). Eduardo Bermudez, 26, lived most of his life in East Los Angeles near the corner of Whittier and Atlantic Blvd. As a child he attended Winter Gardens Elementary School and Montebello Intermediate. In 2005, he enrolled in LA CAUSA Youthbuild and worked his way through high school. After graduation, he began taking classes at East Los Angeles Community College. Those who knew Eduardo praised his musical talent, which enabled him to sing and play several instruments. Eduardo is most remembered for his commitment to family and as a loyal son, brother and uncle. On Saturday, November 14th, Eduardo had returned to the community to spend an evening with family and friends in celebration of his nephews third birthday. Ricardo Lara, 57, was a beloved partner to Albania Morales, a father of a son and a daughter, and a grandfather. He was a gifted maintenance worker, and was admired for the work he did in the community including at the respected housing development corporation, TELACU. As reported by several witnesses, on Sunday, November 16th at 2am, Ricardo and Eduardo were standing across the street from their apartment building when at least two LA County Sheriffs’ cars drove rapidly up to where they were, screeched to a halt, and jumped out. Both men were cooperating with deputies’ commands. At one point Eduardo asked the deputies a question. At that moment, deputies open fire on both men. According to witnesses the two men were not exiting a car – and the position of their bodies confirms that. Witnesses also say the two men were on opposite sides of the driveway at least 50 – 75 feet away from each other. Witnesses also said that Eduardo did not point a BB gun at deputies. Witnesses also all confirmed that more than a dozen shots were fired in rapid succession, despite the fact that at least one family member was also begging the sheriffs to remain calm. Finally, all the witnesses interviewed stated that no ambulance ever came to the scene, and the men were left on the street for approximately 9 hours before the Coroner’s Office took the bodies. One witness reported that several ambulances were posted at Verona and Whittier but never called in to the scene by the deputies. The cars that were also hit with bullets were also left at the scene. There is community concern that they were not taken as evidence needed for a thorough investigation of the incident. Bermudez and Ricardo Avelar-Lara are #598 and #599 – the 598th and 599th persons killed by Los Angeles County law enforcement since 2000 – that’s almost 1 person killed by law enforcement every week in LA. African Americans are 9 percent of LA County’s population but 28% of the people killed by police and sheriffs. Fifty-four percent of those killed are Latino. LA County leads the nation BY FAR in law enforcement killings of community members.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 19:20:37 +0000
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