After the Alameda district legal professional’s administrative center introduced no legal fees for the 3 California Freeway Patrol officials who fatally shot Erik Salgado, a 23-year-old Latino guy, in 2020, his circle of relatives asks: “The place is the justice?”
A document launched Monday via the administrative center of District Legal professional Nancy O’Malley stated “questions stay as to using fatal drive on this case,” however that proof gathered in an investigation “does now not contradict” officials’ said justifications for taking pictures at Salgado in Oakland in June 2020.
California Freeway Patrol pursued Salgado, who was once riding a stolen automobile, in step with the document. 3 cop vehicles, two of which have been unmarked, cornered Salgado. His automotive reversed after which complex, hitting a CHP automobile. 3 officials who had exited their automobiles — Richard Henderson, Eric Hulbert and Donald Saputa — shot at Salgado, hitting him 16 occasions and killing him.
Salgado was once unarmed. The police officers additionally shot and injured Salgado’s female friend, Brianna Colombo, who was once within the passenger seat.
All through the investigation, the police officers claimed that they idea Salgado had run over some other officer. No police officers have been in truth hit via Salgado’s automotive.
John Burris, the legal professional for the Salgado circle of relatives, stated Salgado was once “now not making an attempt to run over the officials, he was once looking to flee.”
“It took two years to mention that it was once alright to shoot 16 rifle bullets into my son for a stolen automotive,” Salgado’s mom, Felina Ramirez, stated in a information unlock from the Justice 4 Erik Salgado Organizing Team. “Erik was once simply 23 years outdated. His daughter Liliana has to develop up with no father. The place is the justice?”
Within the wake of the DA deciding to not criminally fee the officials who killed Salgado, the circle of relatives has referred to as on California Legal professional Common Rob Bonta to behavior an investigation. Bonta’s administrative center didn’t right away reply to HuffPost’s request for remark.
“My circle of relatives has skilled first-hand how the gadget intended to supervise regulation enforcement colludes with killer police officers,” Salgado’s sister Amanda Majail-Blanco stated in a unlock.
The circle of relatives’s legal professional referred to as the DA’s loss of fees “bittersweet” — “sour as a result of there’s no legal prosecution, however candy as a result of we will now pass ahead with the civil litigation.”
Salgado was once one among a number of younger Latino males killed via law enforcement officials within the San Francisco Bay House within the final couple of years.
Police in Vallejo fatally shot Sean Monterrosa, 22, simply days ahead of Salgado’s killing.
Nearly precisely twelve months in the past, Alameda police knelt on 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez’s again, killing him. The officials concerned are on paid administrative go away and feature now not been charged.
And one of the most officials who shot Salgado, Henderson, additionally shot and killed 19-year-old Pedro Villanueva in Southern California in 2016, The Mercury Information reported.