Witnesses Harassed for contradicting sheriff - 13yr old Andy Lopez shooting

[FreakinDJ]

“We are aware that there were witnesses that the police never interviewed, there have been witnesses that have been harassed after speaking to the media and there are other citizens stepping forward about the mental state of Erick Gelhaus.

http://sfbayview.com/2013/national-day-of-protest-saturday-for-andy-lopez-13-murdered-by-santa-rosa-deputy-sheriff/

I had a feeling this would happen being it was in a "Brown Neighborhood"

[FreakinDJ]

1. Open letter to DA mentions the Harassment too

To: District Attorney Jill Ravitch

From:CA Statewide Coalition Against Police Brutality A California Campaign to STOP Police Brutality Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB)/POOR Magazine/Prensa POBRE

Re: Murder of Andy Lopez

Dear Ms. Ravitch, We demand that Erick Gelhaus is charged immediately for the murder of Andy Lopez.

It is an abomination that the police are allowed to investigate themselves. When Santa Rosa PD investigates the Sonoma County Sheriff & then the Sonoma County Sheriff investigates the Santa Rosa PD those 2 departments are not conducting “independent” investigations. When there is no 3rd party doing an entire investigation then the people cannot rely on the information being complete or untainted.

We are aware that there were witnesses that the police never interviewed, there have been witnesses that have been harassed after speaking to the media and there are other citizens stepping forward about the mental state of Erick Gelhaus.

Additionally, with Erick Gelhaus’ obsession with guns and preparing for “war zones”, we have a plethora of information that suggest that he premeditated killing in the line of duty and knew the importance of being able to “articulate” to his superiors how he felt he was in “fear of his life” in order to get away with murder if need be.

Andy Lopez was given LESS than 10 seconds to understand what was happening and comply, no reasonable person believes that he was fully aware of the situation.

Andy Lopez is dead and we are disgusted at law enforcements tactics of demonizing this boy. He was a boy being a boy, playing with toys, walking in his own neighborhood. Our efforts to protect this child and his family from this slander will not cease. This behavior by the Sonoma County is terrorism.

We will not allow blatant murder to happen at the hands of law enforcement, a badge is not a license to kill and it does not grant extra rights.

On February 1, 1960 four young black men took seats at a Woolworth’s segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, NC – by July of that year Woolworth’s integrated all of its stores. Like Rosa Parks resisted and like Cesar Chavez organized. So will the movement behind Andy Lopez. We will not allow this murder to go unanswered for. If an indictment of penal code 187, murder is not filed against Erick Gelhaus those responsible will answer to the people.

We await you doing the right thing,

http://www.poormagazine.org/node/4954

At some point the Federal Government needs to step in

This goes way beyond Local and State policing

edit note - To DU moderator: This is an open letter to a public official and I believe not subject to copyright/TOS/Fair Use rules of 4 paragraphs or less.

[aikoaiko]

2. Can you explain how it was premeditated as these groups claim ?

That's a high legal standard to meet.

[FreakinDJ]

3. I posted this because of "Witness Intimidation" claims

which this is the first written claims I've seen

[aikoaiko]

4. Sure, but if they are also claiming premeditation

... when there is no reason to think so ( as far as I can see) it make the rest of their claims suspect to me.

So I asked my question because I know you're very involved with this shooting.

[FreakinDJ]

5. The obviously disturbing part to me

Was the lack of interviewing witnesses and obviously now that they have come forward to the media they are now claiming to have been harassed by the Sheriffs Dept. Anyone else would be having Felonies heaped on to already existing charges.

You sound knowledgeable enough to be a member of Law Enforcement and most likely already know his intentions, state of mind are not considered under the current interpretation of the law