Wed Jun 3 2009 (Updated 06/08/09)
March & Vigil for Farm Worker Killed by Undercover Yolo County Sheriffs
On Saturday, June 6th, a candlelight vigil and march for Luis Gutierrez Navarro, a farm worker killed by undercover police officers, was held at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Woodland, CA. On April 30th, twenty-six-year old Luis Gutierrez was walking home from the Woodland DMV after taking a Driver's License test when he was approached by three undercover Yolo County Sheriff's deputies who shot six bullets, killing him in broad daylight.
Though Gutierrez had no police record and was not known to belong to any gang, he was stopped by the Yolo County Gang Task Force -- a unit known widely among Latinos and civil rights activists for harassing, and often violently repressing, Latino youth. The county-wide Gang Task Force includes police departments in Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, and Woodland, as well as the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department.
Police involved in the shooting initially claimed that they fired four gunshots after Gutierrez charged them, brandishing a knife. A coroner's report, however, revealed that the officers fired six shots, including one through his back which killed him.
Read More | Hundreds Attend Vigil and March for Luis Gutierrez
Community Meeting Demands Justice for Luis Gutierrez | The Shooting of Luis Gutierrez and the Struggle for Justice in Yolo County | Sacramento Labor Council for Latin American Advancement - AFL-CIO

