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AMY GOODMAN: here's Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The battle and Peace record. I'm Amy Goodman. We're on the highway in Denver, Colorado, broadcasting from Denver Open Media. We flip now to a police taking pictures of a teenage lady right here in Denver that's drawn protests amidst a nationwide push for greater police accountability. It changed into the morning of January 26 when Denver police shot and killed 17-12 months-ancient Jessica Hernandez. they are saying she and several teenage pals have been driving a stolen automobile that struck and injured an officer. Police Chief Robert White says his officers many times advised her to get out of the car earlier than they opened fire. however a passenger within the car, who spoke with KUSA in Denver, says Hernandez misplaced manage of the motor vehicle most effective after she was shot and became unconscious.
PASSENGER WITNESS: law enforcement officials walked up. They were on the facet of her, and they shot the window, and that they shot her. That's when she wrecked, and that's when the cop obtained hit.
AMY GOODMAN: Denver police do not use in-vehicle dashboard cameras. We invited a person from the police department to join us on the exhibit, but they declined, saying it could be inappropriate for them to remark while the case is under investigation. The shooting of Jessica Hernandez marks at least the fourth time in seven months Denver police have fired at a relocating vehicle, regardless of a coverage urging officers to are trying to stream out of ways as an alternative of capturing. Two of these shootings resulted within the drivers' deaths.
In a press release, Hernandez's parents pointed out, quote, "we're dismayed that the [Denver Police Department] has already defended the moves of the officers and blamed our daughter for her own death, even while admitting they've very little assistance. ... [T]his unjustified capturing of our daughter is simply the latest signal of an issue that requires federal oversight," they pointed out. In an interview, Jessica Hernandez's mother additionally raised concerns about how her daughter became handled with the aid of police after they shot her. here's Laura Sonya Rosales Hernandez.
LAURA SONYA ROSALES HERNANDEZ: [translated] i used to be anticipating the paramedics to take my daughter's body out with warning, however, no, they slammed her body to the ground and dragged her like rubbish.
AMY GOODMAN: Witnesses say Jessica Hernandez changed into dragged from the motor vehicle, curiously unconscious. A video captured by a neighbor suggests police handcuffed and seemed to search her after she was shot, rolling her on her lower back and belly as she lay limp and motionless. the two officers concerned within the shooting have been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated.
remaining Thursday, activists, angered by Jessica's death, took over the stage at the national conference on LGBT Equality that turned into held right here in Denver, forcing Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to cancel his speech there. And on Saturday, an estimated 800 people gathered for the funeral of Jessica Hernandez, or Jessie, as she's wide-spread through her friends.
For extra, we're joined presently via two guests. Mimi Madrid Puga is with us, a community organizer and board member of the Colorado Anti-Violence program. And Qusair Mohamedbhai, civil rights legal professional, legal professional for the family of Jessica Hernandez.
We welcome you each to Democracy Now! Qusair, let's begin with you. explain what you understand has took place. What took place on that morning of January twenty sixth?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: We're cobbling together the statistics nonetheless, however what we do comprehend is that Jessica and four different teens between the ages of 15 and 17 had been in a car, and legislation enforcement descended on them on a record of suspicious activity. The vehicle was not relocating at the time. And what we do recognize, as well, is that Jessica turned into killed via three or 4 bullets that have been shot throughout the driver-side window, with the car both stationary or barely moving forward. The witnesses that we've interviewed have all disputed the police version of the events that referred to that she become either using at someone or that there became even a officer that turned into struck at the scene.
AMY GOODMAN: well, explain the scene, like what does—this become an alley, where the car was?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: sure. So the automobile changed into parked in an alley to the right side. and they were teens acting like teenagers. And police got here from the entrance and the rear in vehicles. It's said that they have could have been unmarked.
AMY GOODMAN: What time was it?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: It became 6:30 within the morning. It changed into said that they might were unmarked motors. And as Jessie reportedly put the car in reverse, practically at that exact moment, she was shot and killed, 3 times from bullets all traveling from left to appropriate.
AMY GOODMAN: How do you know where these bullets came from?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: The household. fortunately, the Denver Coroner's office has reached out to the family, and that they've informed us of some preliminary forensic and pathology effects.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you do a 2d autopsy?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: There changed into a second post-mortem completed.
AMY GOODMAN: So, you're saying she changed into shot from the left aspect. She changed into the motive force. So a police officer changed into standing appropriate backyard her door?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: That's relevant.
AMY GOODMAN: To the aspect of her.
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: That's relevant.
AMY GOODMAN: and they shot her into her facet.
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: That's appropriate. All bullets traveled—the bullet that turned into doubtless fatal pierced—become very nearly horizontal, pierced her left lung, went through her coronary heart, through her left ventricle, exited her appropriate atrium, went via her appropriate lung, and ultimately was lodged near her ribs.
AMY GOODMAN: And what came about next, in line with what you consider?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: well, the pathology and forensics will demonstrate that there turned into a reasonably enormous abrasion to her nostril. And the eyewitness studies say that there became a substantial—her physique was mishandled. She became violently pulled out, and there turned into doubtless a blunt force trauma to her face as she became taken all the way down to the ground and handcuffed.
AMY GOODMAN: She changed into shot, she was unconscious, and she changed into handcuffed?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: She changed into shot, she became certainly killed, after which she become handcuffed—reasonably violently.
AMY GOODMAN: I wish to turn to an interview that the Denver police chief, Robert White, did with The Denver submit. He offered his version of how Jessie Hernandez became fatally shot with the aid of police.
POLICE CHIEF ROBERT WHITE: shortly after getting the—arriving on the scene—and they had received a demand suspicious auto. the primary officer arrive there, ran the tags, and it changed into a stolen vehicle. A second officer arrived. The officers exited the motor vehicle in an attempt, a couple of times, to ask the people to come out of the motor vehicle. certainly, that didn't take place. And at some aspect, the customary officer that answered to the scene, the automobile began using against him, which fairly a whole lot had him between the vehicle and, I think it turned into, a brick wall and a fence there. And out of fear for his safety, he fired a couple of shots, and the different officer additionally fired a few shots, striking the driver of the motor vehicle, which become a 17-year-historical juvenile. and she became reported at the hospital. The officer, the normal officer, acquired a fracture, by the way, a broken fracture—a fracture to his leg on account of the incident.
AMY GOODMAN: That's Denver Police Chief Robert White. So he's saying there turned into an officer in front of the car and, I guess, an officer to the facet, that the officer to the front of the car become shooting at her.
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: this is wishful considering by means of the Denver Police department. they have got already changed and reformulated their public messaging here. First they pointed out that an officer's leg became broken at the scene. Then they've come out and spoke of that a leg—the officer's leg turned into fractured. And now, they're now not even being—they're not even confirming that an officer turned into struck, handiest that an officer become injured. here is a generally reduce-and-paste public narrative that the Denver police has had to do four instances within the closing seven months to justify the killing of people, minorities, unarmed minorities, in our neighborhood.
AMY GOODMAN: Mimi Madrid Puga, you're an organizer with the Colorado Anti-Violence software. How did you get concerned with this?
MIMI MADRID PUGA: commonly getting concerned now not only from group, but additionally knowing that Jessie may without difficulty be some of the young individuals that we work with and will conveniently be myself and could comfortably be our group. We actually suppose that survivor assist is essential and crucial to any variety of organizing that we do in group, and we remember Jessie's murder leaves many survivors—her family, her siblings. She turned into the eldest of five that we understand. and she or he was also a pillar in her group, her personal community of chosen family. In all these capabilities, in all these locations, we've considered an inflow of young, queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual younger individuals who come to pay their respects and their aid. And so, we understand that we ought to stand in cohesion between all these actions, between identities of race, identities of sexuality, identities of young americans, too, as a result of we see that young, queer ameri cans of color don't seem to be valued in this institution—as an instance, the police. Our lives are not valued. And we needless to say our lives are sacred. Our lives are value retaining. And Jessie changed into brutally murdered. And as a community, we stand with her and with her family, and ensuring that her story gets told in a real method, that she is not criminalized through the media, however that americans inform the real story of who Jessie changed into, as an older sister, as a chum, as a lover and as a teenager who had so tons lifestyles left in her.
AMY GOODMAN: Eight hundred americans came to the funeral?
MIMI MADRID PUGA: sure, yes.
AMY GOODMAN: The funeral took place, Qusair, at her church?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: Yeah, the church that her family unit and her had attended their whole lives, the church the place she became baptized and where she was lately established.
AMY GOODMAN: The priest very emotional within the carrier?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: The priest, at facets, breaking down and crying over the lack of Jessie.
AMY GOODMAN: Mimi, have you spoken with Jessie's family unit?
MIMI MADRID PUGA: yes, we've. As our neighborhood, at Branching Seedz of Resistance, loads of us come from that Mexican household. loads of us are first-era people who are born right here. lots of us share the same identities and some of the equal experiences as Jessie. Ten years ago, i used to be going through the equal rites of passage of being on the streets and being a teenager and taking cars and being with my pals.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you suggest, "taking vehicles"?
MIMI MADRID PUGA: both taking vehicles or being in situations that are—can also be deemed as crook, but are just rites of passages for lot of younger individuals. And that's some of the things that we've been speakme about, is where is our way of life, the place is our paintings, and the place are these associations right here holding us to provide young individuals with opportunities and respectable rites of passages.
AMY GOODMAN: i needed to show to Jessie's cousin. After Jessie changed into killed, her cousin Jose Castaneda protested outside the District attorney's workplace and confronted Deputy District lawyer Doug Jackson.
JOSE CASTANEDA: I consider like there turned into a higher answer to this. there is different strategies that they could use. there is other weapons that they may have used. It's five teens. There isn't any cause of you to open fire on any teen no remember what. i will be mindful if somebody got out the car and pulled out a gun on him or something, but there changed into no incident by any means. He obtained hit by means of a motor vehicle. My cousin acquired shot lifeless. no person goes to take that pain away! they can repair his leg. they could do something. but nobody is going to carry her back.
AMY GOODMAN: That's Jose Castaneda protesting outdoor the District legal professional's workplace. can you comment on this, Mimi?
MIMI MADRID PUGA: fully. The younger individuals in Denver and the young americans throughout the nation are damage, are in ache and wish curative. this is a traumatizing event for the entire young individuals that Jessie shared her existence with—her cousins, her family unit, even her faculty. These are the very identical americans that we're purported to be trusting in and who is meant to give protection to us. And after we see this occur, there's a degree of ache and healing that should ensue in group.
AMY GOODMAN: How does these protests, which have been starting to be—I mean, 800 americans at the funeral, they didn't know Jessie, all of them, however got here out in cohesion—fit into the Black Lives count number move?
MIMI MADRID PUGA: fully. I consider that there's a way of harmony. And there's a asserting that says, "An attack on community is an attack on me." And so I feel that a lot of people had been in a position to see Jessie's case, are able to see Jessie's family, with that empathy that the priest referred to at her provider. Empathy is what we want these days. And so, moving forward, harmony is the #1 thing on the spot. We need to have team spirit between race, between gender, between orientation, between a while, and have an intergenerational movement of curative.
AMY GOODMAN: Qusair Mohamedbhai, can you talk concerning the police capturing at a relocating car here in Denver, what the guidelines are?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: The policies in Denver are largely antiquated. At places on the East Coast, extra sophisticated organizations absolutely forbid the taking pictures of—at moving vehicles, since it's commonsense that taking pictures at a vehicle isn't going to cease it from relocating. Denver police has a generally cowboy, Hollywood mentality where they feel that capturing at a motor vehicle will all of sudden trigger it to blow up and forestall. It's simply—it's not proper. And so, Denver's guidelines and their inability to relevant them, regardless of four deaths within the remaining seven months, has mostly contributed to Jessie's loss of life.
AMY GOODMAN: again, how time and again within the ultimate few months?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: 4 deaths within the ultimate seven months.
AMY GOODMAN: What are you calling for now?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: We're calling for the Denver District legal professional's workplace to step aside voluntarily and permit an out of doors company, such as the FBI, to investigate these officers criminally. We're asking the Denver Police department to no longer examine and police their personal. These are damaged systems. And it additionally simply—it's commonsense that brothers who're going to be investigating brothers, the outcomes is predictable. And we comprehend, based upon the Denver district legal professional's failure to prosecute any police officer for shootings for the reason that 1992, we comprehend the influence. We be aware of that the Denver district attorney goes to exonerate these police officers.
AMY GOODMAN: ultimately, Mimi, the issues of Jessie's LGBT id. The shooting comes at a time of extended violence in opposition t LGBT americans. as a minimum five transgender ladies of colour have been murdered so far this 12 months.
MIMI MADRID PUGA: fully. It's a sample that we're on the grounds that—again, I said queer, transgender folks see six instances more violence than straight white americans. And so, this is truly a sample that's happening throughout the nation and across the globe. Queer individuals are being attacked and murdered and killed, and our lives don't seem to be being valued as what they're for.
AMY GOODMAN: How do you think police perceived Jessie?
MIMI MADRID PUGA: I'm no longer absolutely sure, but Jessie become definitely masculine-offering. She had brief hair. and that i suppose that even if we're queer, even if we're passing as women or we're passing as men, it doesn't count anymore. We're being shot in spite of what we seem like, certainly if we look like guys, guys of colour. even though we identify as women, we're being shot at on the cost as men. And so, we're asking people to textual content, to get more counsel with a Presente.org petition, "Justice for Jessie," and the number is 225568, to get more suggestions and sign a petition.
AMY GOODMAN: The police have been put, Qusair, on administrative depart?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: sure, they have got.
AMY GOODMAN: Is there a grand jury been impaneled?
QUSAIR MOHAMEDBHAI: in response to the heritage of the Denver District legal professional's workplace, it is not going.
AMY GOODMAN: well, I are looking to thanks both for being with us. We'll actually proceed to follow this case. Qusair Mohamedbhai, civil rights attorney, lawyer for the household of Jessica Hernandez, and Mimi Madrid Puga, a group organizer, board member of the Colorado Anti-Violence program.
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