National

Slain Mexican Man’s Family Views Body, Seeks ‘Justice’

Published

10 years ago

February 24, 2015

In this Feb. 18, 2015 photo, a sign welcomes motorists to Pasco, Wash. For the past week, protesters have gathered daily in front of the City Hall in this agricultural community to protest the fatal shooting of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, an unarmed man who was running away from police at a crowded intersection. (Nicholas K. Geranios/AP Photo)

PASCO, Wash. (AP) — The 60-year-old mother of an unarmed Mexican man fatally shot by police officers in Washington state fainted when she viewed her son’s body for the first time, her lawyer says.

Antonio Zambrano-Montes was killed Feb. 10 in Pasco, the gunfire captured on video by a witness. The death has sparked two weeks of protests in this city along the Columbia River in the southeastern part of the state.

The victim’s mother, Agapita Montes-Rivera, spoke to reporters Monday before entering a funeral home with other family members.

“I want people to understand my pain,” the woman from tiny Parotita, Mexico, said through an interpreter. “It’s really hard. … When I saw the video, I felt really bad. That’s why I asked for justice.”

Her attorney, Benjamin Crump, said she fainted when she first saw her son’s body Monday afternoon.

Authorities say Zambrano-Montes, a 35-year-old Mexican immigrant and former orchard worker, was throwing rocks at officers and a stun gun failed to subdue him. The Franklin County coroner has ordered an inquest into the death, which is being reviewed by a regional task force. The investigation is being monitored by federal authorities.

“We want justice; that’s all we want,” the victim’s sister, Rosa Elena Zambrano-Montes, 28, said through an interpreter.

Crump, the high-profile attorney who represented the family of Michael Brown, a black man killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, said he’ll represent Zambrano-Montes’ family. Crump was in Pasco meeting with family members.

“At the heart of the matter is what’s going on with what we see on that video — is it appropriate or not?” Crump, who is based in Florida, told The Associated Press.

“The No. 1 thing they said is, ‘We don’t want them to say that the police acted appropriately,'” said Crump, who represented the family of Trayvon Martin, the black teenager killed in a confrontation with neighborhood watch leader George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was acquitted in 2013 in that case.

In a video recording by Dario Infante Zuniga, 21, of Pasco, five “pops” are audible, and Zambrano-Montes can be seen running away, pursued by three officers. As the officers draw closer, he stops, turns around and faces them. Multiple “pops” are heard, and the man falls to the ground.

Crump said Zambrano-Montes spoke no English and was an immigrant living in the country illegally.

Felix Vargas, head of the Pasco Hispanic rights group Consejo Latino, said a Seattle-based Justice Department official met with his group Sunday. The official said meetings are planned this week with local authorities, Vargas said.

Pasco is a fast-growing agricultural city of 68,000, where more than half the residents are Hispanic but few are members of the police force or the power structure.

The killing was the fourth by Pasco police in less than a year. Officers were exonerated after similar investigations in the first three cases. Critics in the latest case say the officers should have used less than lethal force to subdue Zambrano-Montes.

“Zambrano-Montes had his hands up. Why did you have to shoot him?” Crump asked.

Police said officers felt threatened. Zambrano-Montes was arrested last year for assault after throwing objects at Pasco officers and trying to grab an officer’s pistol, court records show.

Authorities have said Zambrano-Montes was not armed with a gun or knife when he was killed. Whether he had a rock in his hand when he was shot is still under investigation.

Two of the officers involved were white, and the other Hispanic. All three opened fire, though the number of shots has not been disclosed.

Last week, investigators asked for patience as the investigation continues.

Crump said the Pasco case is similar to other high-profile killings involving police officers.

“All the young people are protesting that Antonio had his hands up based on what they saw in the video, and he had no weapons,” Crump said. “And just like in New York, it shows the graphic last moments of Eric Garner’s life, here you have a video that shows the graphic last moments of Antonio’s life.”

In December, a grand jury in New York declined to indict an officer in Garner’s chokehold death.

Meanwhile, another attorney who says he’s representing Zambrano-Montes’ family says he wants to temporarily withdraw a $25 million claim filed by Zambrano-Montes’ widow and two daughters against the city after the shooting. Attorney Charles Herrmann of Tacoma said Monday the claim was premature.

___

Abdollah reported from Los Angeles.

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Black Press Urges DSCC to Expand Black Media Reach in New Ad Campaign

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has launched a new advertising initiative to encourage Black voter turnout in seven key battleground states. The campaign, “Our Vote. Our Power,” will appear in select Black-owned media outlets across Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Published

15 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Oakland Post

The effort focuses on promoting voter participation in the 2024 Senate elections while urging individuals to create a voting plan using the online platform IWillVote.com, where everyone can access information to plan their involvement in the election.

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has launched a new advertising initiative to encourage Black voter turnout in seven key battleground states.

The campaign, “Our Vote. Our Power,” will appear in select Black-owned media outlets across Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

“Black voters have the power to shape the outcome of the 2024 election and will play a critical role in defending the Democrats’ Senate majority that is fighting for the values, priorities, and issues that matter most for Black Americans,” said Jessica Knight Henry, DSCC deputy executive director. “This campaign will build on Senate Democrats’ efforts to meet Black voters wherever they are and ensure that every voter has the information they need to make their plan to vote and make their voice heard.”

The campaign’s ads will run in publications including the Florida Star, Baltimore Times, Michigan Chronicle, Call & Post, West Philly Journal, Houston Style Magazine, Dallas Weekly, and the Milwaukee Community Journal starting immediately.

“Technology and social media have given us the opportunity to see history almost repeat itself,” said Jessica Washington, CEO of The Dallas Weekly. “The Black Press has been pivotal in advocating the necessity of civic engagement from our community. This was the case for the first Black vote as it is for this 2024 election.”

Washington added that the Texas Senate election between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Congressman Colin Allred will have a massive impact on education, immigration, and the state’s economy. “Dallas Weekly will do their part, as we have for 70 years, to inform our community on the power of their vote,” Washington affirmed.

However, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Chair Bobby Henry, publisher of the Westside Gazette in Fort Lauderdale, voiced concern over the limited scope of the DSCC’s outreach. “I appreciate the effort to reach out to Black voters with your new advertising campaign, but the limited placement in just a handful of local Black newspapers is disappointing and inadequate,” Henry stated. “Black voters have consistently been at the forefront of shaping our nation’s political landscape, and yet, once again, we are seeing minimal investment in ensuring our communities are thoroughly engaged and informed.”

The NNPA is the trade association representing over 200 Black-owned newspapers and media companies, comprising the 197-year-old Black Press of America.

Henry called for a more significant investment. “Our communities deserve more than token outreach; they deserve a comprehensive, robust effort that spans the diversity and geographic reach of Black media outlets nationwide,” he demanded. “To effectively energize Black voters and convey the importance of their participation, there must be a more significant investment in the publications that have historically served as trusted voices and sources of information.”

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Business

Harris Promises 1 Million Forgivable Loans for Black Businesses

As she continues to try to connect with Black male voters, Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday promised to offer 1 million business loans to Black entrepreneurs. The Harris campaign announced the plan via its website, which notes “Donald Trump is a serious threat to the lives of Black men.” These forgivable loans could reach as high as $20,000 in value, the site reads. “Vice President Harris is laying out an agenda to give Black men the tools to build wealth and achieve financial freedom, lower costs for themselves and their families, and protect their rights—addressing the issues that Black men across the country have told her are their top concerns,” the campaign wrote.

Published

15 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Oakland Post

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the loans would be in amounts up to $20,000. Official photo.

By Jackson Walker
CBS News Austin

As she continues to try to connect with Black male voters, Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday promised to offer 1 million business loans to Black entrepreneurs.

The Harris campaign announced the plan via its website, which notes “Donald Trump is a serious threat to the lives of Black men.” These forgivable loans could reach as high as $20,000 in value, the site reads.

“Vice President Harris is laying out an agenda to give Black men the tools to build wealth and achieve financial freedom, lower costs for themselves and their families, and protect their rights—addressing the issues that Black men across the country have told her are their top concerns,” the campaign wrote.

Harris’s economic plan centers on wealth-building and supporting Black entrepreneurship. Her administration would provide 1 million forgivable loans, each up to $20,000, to help Black men and others who have faced significant barriers to starting a business.

By partnering with community banks and mission-driven lenders, Harris aims to make capital accessible to Black entrepreneurs looking to launch or expand businesses in fields ranging from technology to landscaping and beyond.

Additionally, Harris has proposed a significant expansion of the Small Business Startup Tax Deduction, increasing it from $5,000 to $50,000, which would allow Black entrepreneurs to offset startup costs.

She also plans to boost access to venture capital, low-interest loans, and incubators specifically for Black-owned businesses.

Recognizing that Black entrepreneurs are frequently denied credit, Harris’s plan includes reforms to expand affordable banking services and crack down on hidden fees that inhibit wealth accumulation in Black communities.

Other initiatives laid out in the release include launching a “National Health Equity Initiative” specifically targeting Black men. The campaign also touted its support of legalizing marijuana and lowering rent prices.

“Trump’s Project 2025 Agenda doubles down on his mistreatment of Black men and their families,” the campaign wrote of its political opposition. “He will erase four years of financial gains and job growth for Black men and leave their communities worse off for it.”

The proposal is just one of several initiatives Harris has proposed to court those frustrated by the state of the economy. The vice president also suggested in September she would offer $25,000 in federal down payment assistance to all first-time homebuyers.

“I grew up a middle-class kid,” Harris said during a conversation with the National Association of Black Journalists. “It was only by the time I was a teenager that [my mother] could afford to buy her first home.”

NNPA Newswire contributed to this report.