Activists to San Francisco DA: Prosecute, Gascón!

Of the 30 cop killings on his watch, Gascón has charged not one cop!

by Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community – Justice 4 Mario Woods

We DEMAND that San Francisco District Attorney Gascón perform the duties of his office and charge the San Francisco police officers in the shooting death of Mario Woods, Jessica Nelson-Williams and other victims of deadly police violence.

Justice-for-Mario-Woods-Black-Disabled-Lives-Matter-poster-photo, Activists to San Francisco DA: Prosecute, Gascón!, Local News & Views
“Chat & Chew – Justice 4 Mario! Join us Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Auntie April’s restaurant, 4618 Third St. in Bayview Hunters Point, as we meet and greet the community, to build momentum for our upcoming Mario Woods Anniversary event. We want to be sure the Bayview community knows about and turns out for the celebration of Mario’s life. Come join us as we chew and chat with friends old and new, and promote justice for Mario Woods and his family!” – Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community – Justice 4 Mario Woods

We DEMAND that San Francisco District Attorney Gascón bring forth murder charges against the San Francisco police officers who were involved in the shooting death of Black and Brown citizens of San Francisco.

District Attorney Gascón has never once, for any reason, charged a San Francisco police officer with murder – despite a documented 30 deaths of citizens occurring at the hands of police during his tenure. Indeed, DA Gascón is carrying on a 79-year tradition, according to Judge LaDoris Cordell of the Blue Ribbon Panel, who testified before the Board of Supervisors hearing on Oct. 4, 2016.

District Attorney Gascón has never once, for any reason, charged a San Francisco police officer with murder – despite a documented 30 deaths of citizens occurring at the hands of police during his tenure.

Judge LaDoris Cordell recounted a 79-year history, from 1937 to present, of San Francisco police corruption, misconduct, racism and wrongdoing. The community feels that District Attorney Gascón is simply riding out his time, nine years in office and counting, the most recent few years being the bloodiest in recent SFPD history.

Nothing has been done despite even the video-captured shooting of Mario Woods. The ball was dropped by District Attorney Gascón regarding Textgate – discriminatory racial text messages by the SFPD that were never reported by any of the criminal justice agencies – SFPD, DA nor Internal Affairs – who all knew about the messages, as well as the the Police Officers Association.

Mario-Woods-brown-sweater, Activists to San Francisco DA: Prosecute, Gascón!, Local News & Views
Mario Woods, shot and killed execution style by SFPD on Dec. 2, 2015, at the age of 26

We do not accept DA Gascón’s apparent refusal to prosecute the crimes of SFPD, regardless of his having convened the Blue Ribbon Panel.

According to the recent Grand Jury Report, it takes this DA nearly two years to even issue a letter regarding charges. To date, letters issued have been in favor of the police, regardless of the circumstances – despite community outrage and despite even national and international press coverage around excessive force and criminal wrongdoing – particularly in the cases of Mario Woods, Luis Gongora, Jessica Nelson, Alex Nieto and Amilcar Perez-Lopez.

As it stands, the District Attorney’s Office, SF Police Department and other city government departments are arrogant and institutionalized, playing favoritism toward colleagues and peers who are also friends and family. We DEMAND that this sick culture of comradeship stop and that justice prevail!

The San Francisco Police Department is a department gone ROGUE – according to the recent Grand Jury Report, the DA’s own Blue Ribbon Panel Report and the recent Department of Justice COPS report. Furthermore, these reports state that this city police department is corrupt through and through – and completely beholden to the San Francisco Police Officers Association (POA).

The community is questioning the integrity of this present DA , his political aspirations, his duty as a district attorney and his relationship with the POA. We demand murder charges be brought against these rogue police. We do not want any more reports, studies and look-good “reforms,” which, it may be presumed, are meant to take the community off focus and cover up the maladaptive behaviors of this racist and violent police department.

Police-murders-in-San-Francisco-2011-2016, Activists to San Francisco DA: Prosecute, Gascón!, Local News & Views
Police murders in San Francisco 2011-2016 (Click to enlarge)

Since Dec. 2, 2015 – the caught-on-camera firing-squad style execution of Mario Woods – we have demanded the DA file charges against the killer cops. District Attorney Gascón is in possession of a video, as are we all, which tells the whole story – and provides all the avenues of research necessary, right in full view.

Mario-Woods-Coalition-rally-outside-DA’s-Office-Mario-Woods’-mom-Gwen-Woods-speaks-100716-by-Fundi-web, Activists to San Francisco DA: Prosecute, Gascón!, Local News & Views
Mario Woods’ mother, Gwen Woods, speaks at a rally outside the DA’s office on Oct. 7, 2016. – Photo: Adilifu Fundi

There is no need for further “investigation” beyond the analysis of this video – which has been in the DA’s possession for nearly a full year, as of this date. These police officers who shot a person, who the video clearly showed was no threat at the time, need to be charged. We demand that these rogue cops be brought up on murder charges.

Consider the following facts about all of the officers involved in killings, none of whom DA Gascón has ever charged:

*Winston Seto, Antonio Santos, Charles August, Nicholas Cuevas and Scott Phillips are the murderers of Mario Woods, who was shot more than 40 times with his back against the wall, in a caught-on-camera firing squad execution-style killing that shook the city, the nation and the world. According to the Grand Jury Report, Woods was shot 21 times, with 20 of those shots coming from behind him.

The killing of Mario Woods ended the bloodiest year in SFPD history for killings by police. Indeed it ended a year that made NATIONAL records for WORST killings by cop. In 2015, San Francisco made the top 10 WORST of all 100 largest cities in the entire nation for per capita killings by police, according to www.mappingviolence.org.

*Justin Erb is the murderer of Jessica Nelson, who was shot and killed while unarmed and presenting no threat. While seated in a car, she was shot in the chest. Chief Suhr stepped down in shame the very same DAY, ending his bloody reign over the SFPD.

PROSECUTE-KILLER-COPS-GASCÓN-graphic, Activists to San Francisco DA: Prosecute, Gascón!, Local News & Views *Nate Seger and Michael Mellon are the murderers of Luis Gongora Pat, who, according to witnesses, surveillance video and the autopsy, was shot while sitting on the ground. The official police statement as delivered by Chief Suhr was a lie.

SFPD said that police had attempted long discussion and communication in both English and Spanish with Gongora. A surveillance videotape’s audio was released just days after this statement, proving this false – proving that Gongora was killed within 30 seconds of officers jumping out of their vehicle. According to the autopsy and pursuant press conference, numerous shots were fired into Gongora’s body as he lay on the ground.

*Jason Sawyer, Roger Morse, Richard Schiff and Nathan Chew are the murderers of Alex Nieto. The DA’s staff at the DA’s office told the community on Oct. 7, 2016, that the civil trial the killers received – with an all-white jury in a racial profiling killing case – was fair. And that it laid the matter to rest.

Never mind the all-white jury, never mind that it was a civil not a criminal trial; i.e., it was NOT within the DA’s purview nor is it their position to comment on it. The killers admitted they inexplicably had decided that Nieto, who lived his entire life in the neighborhood where he was killed, appeared to them – at a quick glance – to be a ‘gang member’ and admitted later that they were wrong.

Being wrong when you have pulled out a gun and fired and taken a life is criminal, by definition. Of the 59 shots fired at Nieto, he was hit 15 times. Eleven of those shots, including the fatal wounds, were fired at Nieto from above, as he lay prone on the ground. The autopsy deemed Nieto’s death a homicide.

Nathan Chew continues to roam the streets, because of the total lack of consequences – and now has fatally shot ANOTHER San Franciscan just weeks ago – on Oct. 14, 2016.

Mario-Woods-One-Year-Anniversary-Candlelight-Vigil-poster-by-Wealth-and-Disparities-in-the-Black-Community-–-Justice-4-Mario-Woods, Activists to San Francisco DA: Prosecute, Gascón!, Local News & Views
“Please plan to join us, and please plan to wear Mario’s favorite colors – red, black and white – in his honor. See our Facebook page for the event invitation. Encourage others to gather in support of Mario’s mom, Gwen, as we honor his life and demand JUSTICE.” – Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community – Justice 4 Mario Woods

*Craig Tiffe and Eric Reboli are the murderers of Amilcar Perez-Lopez. The police account differs from not only all witness accounts, but also from the actual autopsy – as reported, to San Francisco’s shame, in the international press; the UK Guardian story is here.

The private autopsy proved Perez-Lopez was shot in the back, whereas police claimed he “lunged at” them. The medical examiner’s autopsy confirmed the private autopsy. Perez-Lopez was killed by shots to the back.

*Joshua Cabillo underwent a lawsuit by the ACLU in 2016 for the brutal beating of young African-American Travis Hall and is also the murderer of 15-year-old African-American Derrick Gaines in South San Francisco. How many killings and ACLU investigations does it take for the DA to take action on a rogue, killer police officer?

*Richard Hastings is the murderer of Kenneth Harding Jr., who pursued and killed unarmed young Kenneth over unpaid bus fare and watched – as cameras were rolling, per the viral video – as Kenneth lay bleeding, dying, untreated and unattended to for more than 30 minutes.

*The killers of O’Shaine Evans, who was shot and killed while seated in a vehicle. Police claim that he aimed an unloaded gun at them while seated in a vehicle with a friend in the passenger seat – which the family disputes. Police fired seven shots at close range, killing Evans with two bullet wounds.

The DA has, to date, filed NO charges in any of the above cases, nor has he charged any case of killing by police officer in his tenure as DA of San Francisco. At this point, we demand a response from the DA – to whom we have recently reiterated our position in a formal letter – by Nov. 15, 2016.

To learn more, visit Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community – Justice 4 Mario Woods on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/Wealth-and-Disparities-in-the-Black-Community-Justice-4-Mario-Woods-1597022747260594/.  

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