Protesters call for independent investigation into Salinas Police conduct

Both the Mi Pueblo and North Sanborn officer-involved shootings this month took center stage at the Salinas City Council meeting on Tuesday night. That’s where there was public outcry for a review of the department’s internal affairs. Now the League of United Latin American Citizens is getting involved as people living in the city make several demands.

A group of Salinas residents said they first came together to demand more information on the officer involved shooting at Mi Pueblo on East Alisal earlier this month. Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting on North Sanborn, only added more fuel to the fire.

“We want the Salinas Police Department and the city government to actually sit down with young people, who are at risk, sit down with young people and not just see them as a number,” said resident Francisco Estrada Jr.

More than a dozen people debated with each other over the police department’s recent use of force of a man in surveillance video. Police said armed suspect Osman Hernandez was seen waiving a knife around. Officers admitted to shooting and killing him after he refused to surrender after being hit with a stun gun. Now cellphone footage of Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting on North Sanborn is going viral and some are outraged.

“Once again Salinas police officers have demonstrated complete inability to carry out an arrest without depending on the excessive use of force,” said Alisal Union School District board member Meredith Ibarra.

Others call for the community to avoid misplacing blame.

“Why are you scared of not coming out of your own house? It’s not because of the police. It’s because of the other people around that instill that fear in you,” said a Salinas resident.

The group of residents has several demands:

-Officers involved in shootings, not to be allowed back to work must stay out of work until a federal investigation is complete.

-An investigation into all officer involved shootings within the past decade.

-A civilian review board to deal with complaints and a review of the department’s training manual.

The city said it’s not responding to these demands until the internal investigation is complete.

“The facts of the incident are largely known. However additional facts will be needed to be gathered including information from the coroner and toxicology report,” said Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter.

Central Coast News received this statement from Salinas Police Tuesday evening:

“The Salinas Police Department is well aware of the concerns raised by the community in regards to this and other officer-involved shootings. We take the investigation of any act causing loss of life to be one of our most important responsibilities. We ask the community to be patient and remain calm until enough facts are known so that a conclusion as to the appropriateness of the officers’ actions can be determined.”

This was the third fatal officer-involved shooting in Salinas this year.

On May 9, officers shot and killed Osman Hernandez outside the Mi Puebla store on East Alisal after responding to reports of a man waving a knife. Investigators say he brandished his knife at officers and they feared he would attack them. Prior to shooting him, they used a stun gun on him but officers said it didn’t work.

On March 21, officers shot and killed 42-year-old Angel Francisco Ruiz at the Creekbridge shopping center off Constitution Boulevard. Officers initially responded to a report of a suspicious person in the parking lot with a gun. They say they feared he would shoot at them. The gun turned out to be a pellet gun. He also was the suspect in a recent hit-and-run on a CHP officer.