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July 22, 2015Justice for Amilcar Leave a comment

PETITION TO CRIMINALLY CHARGE THE POLICE OFFICERS WHO KILLED AMILCAR PEREZ LOPEZ, AND WHO SUBSEQUENTLY COVERED IT UP

Petición para traer cargos penales en contra de los oficiales de la policía que participaron y encubrieron en el asesinato de Amilcar Perez Lopez

Please sign and share our Change.org petition HERE.

English (ver la versión española de abajo). The San Francisco District Attorney, the California Attorney General, and the US Attorney’s office are all entities that have the power to file criminal charges. We call on each entity to file criminal charges against the officers that shot and killed Amilcar Perez-Lopez in the Mission District on February 26, 2015, and to file criminal charges against Chief Greg Suhr for covering up the facts of the killing of Amilcar.
The official SFPD version of Amilcar’s death was originally that the officers “feared for their lives” because Amilcar “lunged at them”. However, an independent autopsy revealed that the six bullet wounds were all to the back of Amilcar’s body. The City Medical Examiner’s report was released just recently, and is consistent with this autopsy finding. Chief Suhr now admits that he was wrong but continues the cover-up. His new story is that Amilcar lunged at a bystander.
Criminal charges should be filed immediately, based on seeing six shots to the back of Amilcar’s body, the blood on Folsom Street and not on the sidewalk, the lack of any evidence that Amilcar confronted the plainclothes officers or anyone else in the final seconds prior to his shooting, and Chief Suhr’s inability to tell the truth.

Español El Fiscal del Distrito de San Francisco, el Fiscal General de California y el Fiscal Nacional son organos judiciales que tienen la capacidad de traer cargos penales. Estamos haciendo un llamado a estas agencias para que hagan representaciones públicas de cargos penales en contra de los policías que dispararon y asesinaron a Amilcar Perez-Lopez en el Distrito de la Mision el 26 de febrero de 2015, y de registrar cargos criminales en contra de Comandante Greg Suhr por encubrir la realidad del asesinato de Amilcar.
La versión oficial de la muerte de Amilcar orginalmente fué que los oficiales de la policía “temían por sus vidas” porque Amillara “se lanzo a ellos”. Sin embargo, una autopsia independiente revelo que seis de los balazos penetraron la espalda de Amilcar. El estudio hecho por la oficina de el Médico Forense fue publicado recientemente y confirma lo que la autopsia relato. El Comandante Suhr ahora admite que él estaba erróneo pero continúa encubriendo a los protagonistas del caso. Su nuevo relato es que Almicar se le fué encima a otro peatón.
Cargos criminales deben de ser introducidos inmediatamente, basado en los seis balazos en la espalda de Amilcar, su cuerpo en la calle Folsom y no en la acera como ellos dicen, la falta de evidencia que Amilcar confrontó a los policías o ninguna otra persona en los momentos antes que fue herido por balas y finalmente la incapacidad del Comandante Suhr de decir la verdad.

The Mission (SF) Marches, Rallies for Justice for Amilcar Perez-Lopez

May 8, 2015May 8, 2015Justice for Amilcar Leave a comment

by Evan P. Matthews at Anti Police-Terror Project 
Originally Published on IndyBay

On April 24, neighbors for Justice for Amilcar held a vigil and march in honor of Amilcar Perez-Lopez, killed by SFPD on February 26, 2015.

Friday evening, concerned community members organized a vigil, march, and rally calling for justice in the state-killing of Amilcar Perez-Lopez. Shot six times in the back, once in the head by San Francisco Police Department, Amilcar was remembered and honored by all present as an honest, hard-working man. Friends, neighbors, and concerned individuals from throughout the Bay gathered at the site of the state-killing on Folsom street between 24th street and 25th street for a moving vigil. After the vigil, the nearly crowd of nearly 200 marched to the Mission Police District for a rally and die-in. The march was led by powerful, native Aztec dancers in ceremonial costume. Organized by the Justice for Amilcar committee, the march included members of the Mission faith community, Supervisor Dave Campos, Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth (HOMEY), and the San Francisco Organizing Project/Peninsula Interfaith Action (SFOP/PIA).

The action, held in the historic yet gentrifying Mission district, came on the heels of a press-conference in which the results of an independent autopsy were announced to the public. Conducted by the Sonoma County coroners office, the autopsy revealed disturbing conflicts in the story originally given by SFPD and Police Chief Greg Suhr. The police chief stated on March 2nd during a town-hall that Amilcar charged at the police with a knife raised. This story, though always contradicted by witnesses, was reprinted and published as fact by news outlets throughout the bay area. The press conference also announced the lawsuit filed by the parents of Amilcar against SFPD for their use of excessive, deadly force against their son. The lawsuit also charges SFPD with the failure to appropriately train, discipline, and supervise officers Tiffe and Reboldi.

Amilcar Perez-Lopez is a victim of police-terror, but he is also facing eviction – a fate he shares with people of color throughout the Mission and San Francisco. Speakers at the march connected the threat of eviction with the criminalization of black and brown people in San Francisco. Called by many the “bookends of gentrification,” SFPD has a deep history of criminalizing the presence of people of color, effectively pushing them out of the community they call home. While on Mission St, the march passed the dozens of restaurants patronized by the mostly white, young people who are the tenants that replace working class folks like Amilcar.

Hundreds of photos of all the community response to the death of Amilcar can be found on the Justice 4 Amilcar Perez-Lopez facebook group:http://www.facebook.com/groups/353672264838421/

Hashtags for the event:
#Justice4Amilcar
#6shots2theback
#JusticeForAmilcar
#AmilcarPerezLopez
#SFPDCoverUp

Amilcar’s Family Demands Answers

April 23, 2015Justice for Amilcar Leave a comment

Photos from Amilcar Perez Lopez’s home village in Guatemala courtesy of the legal team:

Familia Perez Lopez exigimos que se aclare el asesinato de nuestro hijo. Asesinado 26/02/15 por la policia de San Francisco, CA. / The Perez-Lopez family demands answers regarding the murder of our son. Killed 02/26/15 by police in San Francisco, CA.

Amilcar’s entire community of origin in Guatemala comes out to mourn their loss and support the family.

From Amilcar’s funeral in Guatemala. The family received a large card from friends, neighbors, and supporters of Amilcar in the U.S.

Latest Evidence Disproves SFPD Chief Suhr’s Version of the Killing of Amilcar Perez-Lopez

April 21, 2015April 21, 2015Justice for Amilcar 1 Comment

For Immediate Release:

Latest Evidence Disproves SFPD Chief Suhr’s Version of the Killing of Amilcar Perez-Lopez

Outraged Mission Community to Hold Vigil and March

What: Interfaith vigil and march in response to latest evidence that Amilcar Perez Lopez was murdered by SFPD
When: Friday, April 24, 6pm
Where: Beginning on Folsom Street, between 24th and 25th Streets

This Friday morning, April 24^th, lawyers representing Amilcar Perez-Lopez and his family in Guatemala will file a lawsuit in the Northern District Federal Court in San Francisco seeking accountability for the killing of Amilcar by San Francisco plainclothes officers on February 26^th. The Federal Complaint will reveal the true facts behind Amilcar’s heinous death, completely at odds with Chief Greg Suhr’s story.

“Those of us in the Mission neighborhood know that the facts are not as the police have reported to the media. We know that the truth about how Amilcar was killed by the police will be revealed when the lawsuit is filed.

“This Friday we will gather at the site of his murder on Folsom Street to demand justice for Amilcar, for other victims of racist police violence, and for the Mission District.” said spokesperson for the march and neighbor Florencia Rojo.

Amilcar Perez-Lopez was assassinated in a hail of police bullets three doors away from his Mission apartment on Folsom Street at 9:45 p.m. on February 26^th. Soon after, SFPD Chief Greg Suhr blamed Amilcar for his own death at the hands of plainclothes officers. As in each recent shooting case in San Francisco – Alejandro Nieto on March 21, 2014, O’Shaine Evans on October 7, 2014, and Amilcar on February 26^th, Chief Suhr claimed the shootings were justified based on his officers’ “reasonable fear” for their safety.

The evidence revealed on Friday morning, and in particular the autopsy findings, will unequivocally confirm that the officers were in no threat of any danger as Amilcar Perez Lopez was not attacking the officers—but rather fleeing from the officers after having dropped the knife. Most importantly, this evidence will unequivocally confirm that the killing of Amilcar was absolutely unjustified. The SFPD’s official version, which was announced to the public by Chief Suhr, is a fabrication intended to shield the shooting officers from prosecution.

“We in the neighborhood knew Amilcar as a hard working, young Guatemalan immigrant struggling to build a decent life for himself in this country. He worked multiple jobs in the construction and the restaurant trades. Despite how hard Amilcar worked, he sent money to his family in Guatemala to help support them. Amilcar was a good human being, a good neighbor and a wonderful provider for his family. There was no reason to shoot him. We will march on Friday with families of other victims of police shootings to demand that the truth come out and justice be done!” said Eduardo Roman, a co-worker and friend of Amilcar.

According to march organizer, Father Richard Smith of St. John’s Episcopal Church, “There is a prevalent death culture in the SFPD. They view their mission in our community as a them-against-us situation. I fear for my parishioners and all the innocent youth of color who live with a constant fear that on any day a police bullet may take their young lives.

“I am urging all concerned members of our community to join us for this Friday’s vigil and march to stand up for Amilcar and for justice.”

Events and locations:

Interfaith vigil with words, music, song, and native dance. On Folsom Street, between 24th and 25th (the site of the killing of Amilcar by SFPD), 6pm
March to Mission Police Station
Testimonies by families who have lost loved ones to SFPD violence. At Mission Police Station (17th and Valencia Streets)
Presentation and conversation with the legal team and free community dinner. At John the Evangelist Episcopal Church on 5th Street and Julian Avenue, between Mission and Valencia)

Audio-visuals:

Native Aztec dancers in ceremonial costume
Clergy in religious garb
Original art and banners by local Mission artists
Words, music, songs, chants, native drumming

Contacts:

Father Richard Smith phone (415) 314-0924 email – Justice4Amilcar@gmail.com
Florencia Rojo phone (734) 395-9453 email – Justice4Amilcar@gmail.com

Friday 4/24 – 6pm – Justicia para Amilcar/Justice For Amilcar Vigil and March

April 16, 2015Justice for Amilcar Leave a comment

Neighbors for Justice for Amilcar are holding a Vigil and March in honor of Amilcar Perez-Lopez, killed by SFPD on February 26, 2015.

RSVP here

On Friday, April 24th, on behalf of Amilcar’s family, Attorney Arnoldo Casillas will file a civil lawsuit against the City of San Francisco and officers Craig Tiffe and Eric Reboli who killed Amilcar Perez-Lopez mere feet from his home. At 11:00am Casillas will hold a press conference and reveal information that dramatically contradicts the police narrative of the events of the night Amilcar was shot and killed.

We believe SFPD is involved in a cover-up of facts to avoid criminal and civil accountability for the unlawful killing of Amilcar Perez-Lopez. Join us that evening to mourn this tragic loss in our community, resist the forces of gentrification, and DEMAND JUSTICE for Amilcar.

6:00pm – Vigil begins on the East side of Folsom between 24th and 25th, at the site of the shooting
6:30pm – March begins
7:00pm – Stop at Mission Police Station (630 Valencia)
March will end at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church (15th St between
Mission and Valencia)

**Please bring votive candles. We will lay these down at the Mission Police Station to symbolize the loss of Amilcar and other victims of police violence in San Francisco.**

stay involved:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/353672264838421/

Services Held for Amilcar in San Francisco and Guatemala

April 9, 2015April 23, 2015Justice for Amilcar 3 Comments

In the U.S.

On Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 4:00 pm, Amilcar Perez Lopez’s friends and neighbors gathered at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in San Francisco’s Mission District to reflect on Amilcar’s life and renew our commitment to justice for Amilcar. Videos of the service, including the indigenous prayer, words from the Rev’d Dr. Richard Smith, and testimonials from members of Justice for Amilcar Committee, can be found below. The following day, Easter Sunday, the Rev’d. Dr. Richard Smith reflected on Amilcar and other victims of police and state violence in his sermon.

Back in Guatemala

After a month of waiting, Amilcar’s father Juan Perez still had not received his visa to the U.S. At that time Amilcar’s family decided that they wanted his body to return home without further delay. On Monday, April 6, Amilcar’s family received his body in his home village in Guatemala, and in the days that followed his loving community honored Amilcar’s life through tradition, prayer, and worship.

Amilcar was survived by his two loving parents and five younger siblings.