Activism

Memorial to Honor Pedie Perez on Anniversary of Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting

The memorial, taking place at 3322 Cutting Blvd., will bring together members of the Perez family with local police, city officials and Richmond community members to “honor a life cut short [and] to support our advocacy for police accountability and reduced deadly encounters,” according to a family statement.

Published

2 years ago

October 1, 2023

Oakland Post

Pedie Perez with his grandpa, Richard Perez Sr. Photo courtesy of the Perez family.

By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard

A memorial service for Richard P. Perez III — familiarly known as Pedie Perez — was held Sat., Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. in Richmond to mark the ninth anniversary of his police-involved shooting in the city.

The memorial, took place at 3322 Cutting Blvd., and brought together members of the Perez family with local police, city officials and Richmond community members to “honor a life cut short [and] to support our advocacy for police accountability and reduced deadly encounters,” according to a family statement.

The Perez family also intends for Pedie’s memorial — occurring at the scene of his shooting — to serve as a call for continuous reforms and a space for communal healing and reconciliation.

Pedie Perez, age 24, was killed in an officer-involved shooting at a liquor store/deli in Richmond in 2014.

Later, in a 7-1 vote, the Richmond’s Citizen Police Review Commission sustained a complaint that excessive and unreasonable force was used against Perez, per KTVU.

Richard ‘Pedie’ Perez III was killed by a City of Richmond police officer Sept. 14, 2014. Photo courtesy of the Perez family.

Among those honoring Perez at the memorial will be Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Richmond Police Chief Bisa French, Richmond Police Officers Association President Ben Theriault, Shawn Dunning, Reimagine Richmond Taskforce members, Richmond’s Community Police Review Commission and other community members, per the Perez family.

Since Pedie’s death, the Perez family has advocated for meaningful changes in policing throughout the state, helping enact laws — alongside other victims’ families — including SB 1421 “Peace Officers: Release of Records,” AB 392 “California Act to Save Lives” and SB 2 “Police Decertification Act.,” according to the statement.

The family said it has also helped establish Richmond’s Ordinance No. 29-20 N.S. to foster increased accountability and promote transparency within the City of Richmond.

A potential Richmond art project memorializing Pedie has bolstered his family: Two city-owned concrete trash cans that would be artistically decorated with Pedie’s name and likeness by artists John Toki and Jon Sances, along with volunteers, and placed at 3322 Cutting Blvd.

The project is currently pending recommendation by Richmond’s Arts and Culture Commission and the Recreation and Parks Commission to the City Council for approval, per the statement.

The Perez family indicated that they believe the diverse gathering for Pedie’s memorial reflects the community’s cohesion and collective commitment to establishing an accountable and highly respectable police force within the City of Richmond.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.