Does video of teen’s death by police ‘speak for itself?’ Fresno council divided
Members of the Fresno City Council expressed divergent opinions this week following the recent release of video showing a Fresno police officer killing an unarmed 16-year-old who attempted to evade arrest.
Police Chief Andy Hall issued a statement as outrage grew in the community and online following the release of the surveillance and police body camera footage. It shows Sgt. Ray Villalvazo firing a single round that struck the back of the head of Isiah Murrietta-Golding, a suspect in a fatal shooting the previous day.
The chief noted the statement was an unusual step from a police department that’s now facing a lawsuit from the family of Murrietta-Golding. The attorney representing the family, Stuart Chandler, made the videos available to local media.
As Hall and the local police union defended the actions of the sergeant, saying the shooting was justified, community activists expressed outrage. A candidate in the U.S. presidential race also weighed in, calling for reforms of law enforcement.
‘Video that speaks for itself’
Three of the seven member Fresno City Council — Esmeralda Soria, Nelson Esparza and Miguel Arias — issued a joint release on Thursday.
“It is heartbreaking that Fresno has once again made national news for a video that speaks for itself,” the statement said. “Because of the police chief’s statement, we want to reassure our entire community that this incident does not reflect our city, nor its values. We can and must do better.”
Arias said the joint release was meant to try to show empathy for the families affected by the fatal officer-involved shooting. He said the debate moved quickly to whether the shooting was justified, without showing compassion for the friends and family connected to the shooting.
“At the end of the day, in life and in death, there is a presumption of innocence,” he told the Bee. “We should be prepared to mourn with any families who lose a loved one like this and not just leapfrog to justification.”
Bredefeld and Karbassi respond
In response to the joint statement, Councilmembers Garry Bredefeld and Mike Karbassi issued their own joint statement. The elected officials said they not only grieve for the family of Murrietta-Golding but the family of 19-year-old Eugenio Ybarra, who died a day prior to the Murrietta-Golding shooting.
Police said Murrietta-Golding was a suspect in the shooting. His brother, whose name hasn’t been released because he is a minor, pleaded guilty to being involved in the shooting, according to police.
“The loss of such young lives is a complete tragedy,” the statement from Bredefeld and Karbassi said. “While the video reflects an officer-involved shooting and subsequent loss of life, it is important to remember that the district attorney reviewed the circumstances of the shooting.”
The Fresno Police Department‘s Internal Affairs Bureau, Fresno County District Attorney’s Office and the city of Fresno’s Office of Independent Review all deemed the lethal force justified.
The statement goes on to ask the public to remain calm and show support for all of the families affected.
Bredefeld said on Friday he wanted to make sure the public understood the initial statement released by Soria, Esparza and Arias did not reflect the entire council’s opinion.
“I wanted the facts to be there and to recognize that we’ve had a tragic loss,” he told The Bee. “Young lives were lost and I think the statement reflects very clearly those facts and that perspective.”
Neither Mayor Lee Brand nor council members Paul Caprioglio and Luis Chavez have spoken publicly about the incident.
The officer-involved shooting
Moments before the shooting, police had pulled over a car carrying Murrietta-Golding at a shopping center at Shaw Avenue and Fresno Street.
An officer commanded Murrietta-Golding to step out of the vehicle, put his hands behind his head and take steps backward toward the officer. Then Murrietta-Golding took off running through the busy parking lot, according to the lawsuit.
Eventually, Murrietta-Golding jumped the fence of a daycare center. There, video taken from the surveillance camera shows Sgt. Villalvazo crouch down slightly, then fire at the teen through the fencing.
Murrietta-Golding immediately collapsed to the ground after being shot, the video shows.
In footage released from a police officer’s body camera, someone is heard shouting “good shot” as officers handcuff and search the Murrietta-Golding, who appears to no longer be conscious.
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 1:16 PM.
