"Public Outrage to Greet Board of Supervisors over Gelhaus Return to Duty; Demand Grows to Remove Erick Gelhaus from the Streets"
Where: Bd. of Supervisors Meeting 575 Administration Dr, Santa Rosa, CA
When: 2pm, 9/9/14
Contact the Justice Coalition for Andy Lopez Media Committee [justice3@) sonic.net] [jonathan4536@) sbcglobal.net]
Since District Attorney Jill Ravitch’s full exoneration of Deputy Erick Gelhaus (post election), clearing the Deputy of any and all criminal liability for the death of 13-year old Andy Lopez, a groundswell of outrage has been growing over the return of Erick Gelhaus to the streets of Sonoma County.
Most enraged have been members of the Spanish speaking Latino community of Santa Rosa, many of whom fear for the lives of their children. Nicole Guerra, mother of Andy’s closest childhood friend, spoke recently at the Sonoma County Task Force on Healing to express her anger and fear for her three children who live and play in the Moorland neighborhood where Andy was shot. “I fear for my children everyday they go out to play or go to school. I work with Andy’s Youth, the kids who’ve remained active demanding Justice since Andy’s death. They all feel unsafe whenever a police car drives near them. Since Andy’s death, teenagers will duck and hide to avoid a marked police car for fear of being stopped and harassed. The other day, my two-year old asked me if the police might shoot him! We will remain afraid and angry as long as Gelhaus patrols our streets!”
A press statement by Sonoma County Board member Shirlee Zane lambasted Sheriff Freitas’ handling of the return of Deputy Gelhaus, calling it a “slap in the face” to the community still grieving over the teen’s death. Anti- Gelhaus posters are appearing all over the County – in stores, windows of homes and on telephone poles.
A Facebook Page entitled, “Where has the Sheriff put Erick today?” is spreading virally on Social Media encouraging County residents to report on sightings of Deputy Gelhaus [https://www.facebook.com/WhereisErick].
According to Justice Coalition media committee member Mary Moore, “I have been involved in the justice struggle against police-related fatalities in Sonoma County since the mid-90’s. Since the US Civil Rights Commission issued their report in 2000 (from the ’98 hearings in Sonoma County), we have experienced an epidemic of police-related deaths – 64 in total! Now the community is not going back to sleep and we plan to be at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting on September 9th to make our voices heard loud and clear about Gelhaus returning to duty!.”
Poster being hung around town:
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