About 20 people gathered at the Solano County Justice Center on Friday to "demand answers" regarding the investigation into the death of Guy Jarreau Jr., killed last month in an officer-involved shooting in Vallejo.
At about 1 p.m., protesters held signs that said "Stop police terror" and "Stop police brutality, justice for Guy Jarreau."
Jarreau, a 34-year-old New Orleans native who had been living in Vallejo for more than eight years, was mortally wounded in an alley by an officer on Dec. 11. He died on the way to the hospital.
Friends say he was with some Napa Valley College classmates making an anti-violence music video.
Vallejo police officers said they came to the scene in response to a 911 call about a man brandishing a gun near some teenagers in the 2100 block of Sonoma Boulevard. Police said Jarreau ran into a nearby alley and was shot in self defense.
On Friday, rally spokeswoman Verrose Hill, who said he was Jarreau's friend and fellow student of Napa Valley College, read a list of items that protestors wanted released. The list included statements from the Vallejo officer involved in the shooting, medics and eye witnesses as well as the 911 dispatch recording, a video camera and tape.
"If they had done nothing wrong, then they have nothing to hide," Hill said.
The participants in Friday's rally included Vallejo residents, Napa Valley College students and members of the Diablo Valley College Students Democrats Society. Jarreau's family members and friends, who were involved in the music video, were not present.
"We tried to call them, but I think they are still in mourning," Hill said.
Hill said she did not expect any immediate action.
"Our goal is to stir up people and get the gears turning," she said. "Hopefully, we'll get the answer soon."
Despite discussions of moving the rally into the Justice Center, the rally remained outdoors and peaceful.
"We just want to make sure their actions remain peaceful, while exercising their right (to assembly)," Solano County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Gary Faulkner said.
Solano County District Attorney Don du Bain said his office just received the investigation reports from Vallejo Police Department on Thursday.
"It is still under review by my office, and we will come to our own independent conclusion," du Bain said.
Vallejo Police investigators and six district attorney's investigators worked together since shortly after the shooting to determine what happened, du Bain said.
When asked when his office would issue its findings, du Bain said it was too early to speculate, since "it all depends on the length and complexity of the case."
All fatal and potentially fatal incidents involving police officers are investigated by the district attorney's office, he added
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Students and activists hold a rally in front to the Solano County Hall of Justice in demanding the investigation into a fatal shooting by Vallejo Police. (Chris Riley/Tmes-Herald, Vallejo)
2011-01-29 "Report about 'Justice for Guy Jarreau' rally" by Frank Runninghorse
Brothers & Sisters of the OGC, SDS, MDS & PFP and Justice For Guy Jarreau Coalition.
Fridays Action was quite successful, over 30 people held what was said to be the 1st major protest against police brutality in Vallejo in over 10 years.
3 or 4 news outlets were there to cover the story and the District Attorney is now publicly on record as having to answer to the community and Guy Jarreau fellow students at Napa Valley College for this unnecessary and unjust killing.
Protesters pledged to carry on the struggle for justice for Guy and his family.
Several organizations sent delegations and representatives to the protest including the NVC Black Student Union [BSU], whose spokeswoman Verose Hill led the press conference, NVC SDS [Students for a Democratic Society], Solano County Peace & Freedom Party, God First, a group of Guys family and friends and MDS [Movement for a Democratic Society] members from both Vallejo & Concord.
Nearly half the crowd were folks who came from out of town to express support to the local activists and show that police brutality is not a isolated incident and must be fought with unity and solidarity.
The Oakland based "Oscar Grant Committee to Stop Police Brutality and State Repression" and the DVC SDS helped to organize the Solidarity Contingent.
The Laney College BSU also had a few boisterous representatives that called for BSU's across the state to take up the call for "Justice for Guy", who was a NVC BSU member.
They reminded the protesters that "an injury to one is a injury to all".
ILWU [Longshoreman's Union] member Stan Woods expressed the ongoing support from the progressive union for the struggle of working class community's against police brutality as they did on Oct 23rd,2010 when they staged a work stoppage to shut down the Bay Area shipping docks to support the struggle to get "Justice for Oscar Grant" another young black man unjustly killed by the BART police.
After the Rally the protesters went to a local restaurant ,consumed pizza ,drank beer and talked about the next steps in the struggle.
STAY TUNED!
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