6/4 Vigil in San Jose to Protest Police Killing of Samuel Martinez

Barrio Defense Committee (BDC)
PO Box 1523, San Jose, CA 95109
(408) 885-9785

For Immediate Release

VIGIL
UNNECESSARY POLICE KILLING OF
SAMUEL MARTINEZ

Saturday, June 4, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. corner of Countrywalk Circle and Creekside Drive, North San Jose

Contact: Quetza, (408) 885-9785

Samuel Martinez, 34 years, father of two children, was shot and killed by a San Jose police officer, Friday, May 27, 2005 at 3:00 a.m. in the 2000 block of Countrywalk Circle in North San Jose. The San Jose Mercury News gives the version that Samuel was banging on the wife’s door attempting to break in the house. They said that the wife had called the police. When the San Jose Police arrived Samuel Martinez came out of his van and approached the one police officer. The police officer used the Taser gun and tasered him twice then the officer shot Samuel several times. Samuel died at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center that morning.

We make a call for a Vigil because too many people have been killed by the San Jose Police unnecessarily. What happened to immobilizing someone? The worse is that too many people from the Mexican community have been killed by the San Jose Police such as Victor Duran, Danny Duran who had his hands up, Robert Treviño, 23-year old Jose Perez Flores. Too many people have been killed in general by the San Jose unnecessarily such as 25-year old Bich Cau Thi Tran who was carrying a potato peeler in her own house.

We make a call for this Vigil because people cannot be killed over reasons that can be dealt with verbally without force or violence. Killing people is not the answer. All of us grieve for the families who have lost their loved ones one way or the other. We grieve for Samuel’s family, friends and neighbors. What will the children do now without their father when there could have been another recourse over family conflicts?

The San Jose Police cannot be the judge and executioner.

For more information please contact the Barrio Defense Committee at (408) 885-9785