Devin Brown remembered
Third anniversary commemoration planned
Little did teenager Devin Brown realize during his short life that he would wind up as another homicide statistic.
The 13-year-old Brown was shot multiple times on Feb. 6, 2005 after leading police on a high speed chase in a stolen red Toyota Camry.
In what became a high profile case in the city of Los Angeles, Brown was chased to the intersection of 83rd Street and Western Avenue when Officer Steven Garcia fired 10 shots at the Camry, striking the teen seven times.
Although the Los Angeles Police Commission ruled that Garcia had violated department rules, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office decided that no criminal charges would be filed against Garcia.
The Brown family filed a wrongful death lawsuit and the Los Angeles City Council paid the family a $1.3 million settlement.
Brown’s death shed light on police procedures and conduct, causing the LAPD to change their policy regarding shooting at moving vehicles.
Outraged by the Brown shooting and the subsequent ruling by the district attorney’s office, community residents came together two days after Brown’s death to form the Community Call to Action and Accountability (CCAA), a grassroots organization whose mission is to deal with issues of police brutality, gang warfare and other socioeconomic ills affecting the community.
On Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in honor Brown’s memory, the organization plans to hold a “Third Year Commemoration for Devin Brown” to recognize all murder victims who have died violently in the streets of Los Angeles.
The CCAA, along with Project Cry No More and Project Cease Fire, will hold a march and vigil from 83rd Street and Western Avenue where Brown died to Bethel AME Church at 79th Street and Western Avenue.
A town hall meeting and commemoration ceremony will follow the march at Bethel at 7 p.m.
“There are untold numbers of others who have died in our community and have experienced great pain as a result of police actions or gang warfare,” said Akile, a board member of CCAA.
“We will be remembering Brown, Susie Pena, Matthew Powell and all the others who died violently at the hands of police. This is an opportunity to share, reflect and recommit ourselves to ending police brutality and gang violence. It’s a program for people who have suffered or lost others to violence in the streets,” he said.
For more information, call CCAA member Vicky Lindsey at (310) 438-0075.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.—A $10,000 reward will be offered today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed a 28-year-old man in Inglewood as he shielded his 8-year-old son from gunfire.
Fredrick Martin, 28, was mortally wounded April 3 in front of his home on West 109th Street, just west of Crenshaw Boulevard.
“Fredrick Martin was killed shielding (his) son from gunfire,” said family spokeswoman Jasmyne Cannick, adding that his family is now “on a mission to find his killers.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif.—Inglewood police today sought the public's help to find the killers of a young man gunned down Wednesday while riding his bicycle.
Jose Flores, 19, of Inglewood, died shortly after the roughly 5 p.m. shooting at Arbor Vitae and Oak streets, Assistant Chief Ed Winter of the coroner's office said.
Flores was riding east on Arbor Vitae Street when two gunmen on foot and opened fire, wounding him "multiple'' times, Inglewood police Sgt. Brian Spencer said. The suspects ran off.
Los Angeles police say two suspects have been arrested for the murder of 5-year-old Aaron Shannon, and are being held without bail. Leonard Hall Jr., 21, was taken into custody today (Friday) about at 2:10 a.m. at an apartment in the 200 block of West. 27th Str. Marcus Denson, 18, was arrested Thursday evening by Sheriff’s deputies in the 1100 block of East 83rd Street. Law enforcement officials say both suspects are active gang members.
George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who says he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot an unarmed teenager in Sanford, Fla., was charged with second-degree murder Wednesday, April 11, more than six weeks after the fatal encounter.
Zimmerman has been arrested and was in the custody of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as of Wednesday night.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Board of Supervisors today renewed a $10,000 reward in the hope that someone will come forward with information leading to whoever fatally shot a 35-year-old Long Beach man on a bicycle.
Pablo Ortiz was riding in the 2100 block of East 14th Street in Long Beach around 7:30 p.m. on June 21 when he was fatally shot.
Supervisor Don Knabe recommended that the reward, set to expire Sunday, be extended for another 90 days.
