U.S. presidential candidate outraged by Fresno police shooting of murder suspect
A video showing a Fresno police officer fatally shooting a teenage murder suspect has caught the attention of a U.S. presidential candidate.
Democratic candidate Julian Castro, the former U.S. Housing Secretary under the Obama administration, tweeted Thursday night about the shooting of 16-year-old Isiah Murrietta-Golding in Fresno in 2017.
“We have to reform our policing system to end the ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mentality that ends far too many black & brown lives,” Castro wrote.
A lawsuit filed on behalf of the teen’s family revealed Sgt. Ray Villalvazo shot Murrietta-Golding.
On Tuesday, a lawyer who represents the Murrietta-Golding family released surveillance camera footage from a daycare facility that shows the moment Murrietta-Golding was shot.
The footage is expected to be used in a civil trial scheduled for October 2020, according to the family’s lawyer, Stuart Chandler.
Community activists have expressed outrage after seeing footage of the unarmed teen running from police before he’s shot in the back of the head while trying to flee.
Additionally, other footage released from a police officer’s body camera captures audio of an officer shouting “good shot” as officers handcuff and search the already prone Murrietta-Golding.
“It’s really sad and shocking,” said Sandra Celedon, CEO of Building Healthy Communities. “I can’t even put words to my reaction except that this shouldn’t be the reality.”
She added the video was a reminder why people of color are often hesitant to interact with police.
The local police union and supporters of law enforcement, meanwhile, have stepped up in support of the sergeant and are saying he acted within guidelines while pursuing a murder suspect.
“They’re looking at a video that only provides one perspective,” union president Todd Frazier said. “This was escalating quickly. (The sergeant) was chasing a potential murder suspect who was hopping a fence into a daycare.”
Former Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, who is now a candidate for mayor, said in March 2018 that an internal police investigation determined that “Sgt. Villalvazo’s actions were within department policy.”
He added that the shooting was justified because the teen was a suspect in the killing of 19-year-old Eugenio Ybarra, who died a day prior to the Murrietta-Golding shooting.
Castro’s rebuke
Castro took exception to the internal police investigation.
“The fact that these officers,” Castro wrote, “weren’t held accountable is shameful – and more evidence that the system is broken.”
Castro came to Fresno in May, becoming the first 2020 presidential candidate to visit the city.
The former San Antonio mayor and the only Latino in the 2020 White House race acknowledged this week that he would have to drop out of the presidential race if he didn’t raise $800,000 by the end of October.
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 10:11 PM.