J4AB Denounces Latest OPD Shooting and Masso Reinstatement. Calls for OPD Accountability.
On March 28th, 2013, JAB was reliably informed that Miguel Masso was once again working for the Oakland Police out of the Eastmont Mall Station.
On April 3rd, 2013, Frenswa Raynor, 16 years old, was shot by an OPD officer. It was only luck that he was not killed.
Nicole Deane, a J4AB Coalition member, produced this video of the March 5th rally, speaking to these issues. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9GbJpRfrs&feature=youtu.be On April 10th, 2013, the J4AB Coalition released this statement:
Family and Supporters of Alan Blueford to Discuss Reinstatement of Miguel Masso and Recent Police Shootings at Community BBQ.
Frenswa Raynor, a 16 year old Oaklander, came within millimeters of losing his life on April 3rd, 2013, as an Oakland Police Officer fired a shot at his head, grazing his jaw.
The Justice 4 Alan Blueford (J4AB) Coalition denounces this latest example of OPD's violence.
Almost a year ago another young man was shot - and killed - by the Oakland Police. His name is Alan Blueford. We have from reliable sources that the officer who did this, Miguel Masso, is now back on the streets of East Oakland, working out of the Eastmont Mall station. This, and the attack on Mr. Raynor, are both an outrage and a slap in the face to the community.
The near-murder of Frenswa Raynor is confirmation that J4AB's struggle is the community's struggle. We will not stop until the police stop terrorizing and killing young men of color in our community and around the country.
Raynor and two companions had been stopped by OPD for questioning related to a robbery some minutes earlier. However the youths had nothing to do with the incident and had nothing in common with the alleged perpetrators of the robbery except the color of their skin (the alleged robbers were said to be 22-26 years old, Fresnwa's companions, 15 & 16). None of the young men had weapons, and it is still not clear why the OPD officers who approached them thought it appropriate to pull out their weapons and fire.
It is almost impossible to believe that had OPD officers approached three young white teenagers in similar circumstances, one of those teens would have ended up nearly losing his life to a police bullet.
This can only be viewed as yet another example of OPD's inability to control its officers' use-of-force and OPD's inability to prevent racial profiling, two of the very things that led ten years ago to the Negotiated Settlement Agreement. Just months ago, AFTER TEN YEARS OF NON-COMPLIANCE, Judge Henderson imposed a "Compliance Director" on Oakland's police force in a last-ditch attempt to ensure that events like this would no longer happen - but the newly appointed Director has done nothing so far to curb OPD's illegal practices and trigger-happy officers.
The Justice 4 Alan Blueford Coalition is holding a free Community BBQ, with speakers, art, music and rage against the shooting of Frenswa Raynor and the reinstatement of Miguel Masso. It will be held April 13th at 1:00 PM at Arroyo Park in East Oakland. Please join us!
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Also check out this essay/interview about what went down at the March 16th rally: Am I Being Arrested? Please Stop Hurting Me! A Story of Civil Disobedience..
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