Long Beach, California

Demanding Justice for Hector Morejon, Feras Morad, and Other Victims of Police Murder

June 22, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

From readers:

“Justice for Hector!” “Justice for Feras!” Family and friends of Feras Morad and Hector Morejon, joined by family members and friends of others killed by police, drew a heartbreaking picture of the epidemic of police murder of unarmed people at a rally of about 200 people in front of the Long Beach police station on June 13.

Hector Morejon, unarmed, was shot and killed by Long Beach police without warning while he was standing in a vacant building. It was the middle of the afternoon, April 23 of this year. Hearing the shot, his mom came out from the family’s nearby apartment—she saw her son lying in an ambulance fighting for his life. “Mommy, mommy please come, please come,” he cried to her. But, according to Hector’s brother, Ruben, “The officers refused to let my mom in the ambulance with my brother! When he was fighting for his life! He was only 19 years old! Full of life! 19 years old!” At the hospital, detectives made the family wait for nine hours without giving them any information. They weren’t allowed to see Hector until he was dead. “Why? For what?” Ruben said.

Feras Morad, 20, was killed by police a month after Hector. Feras was a nationally ranked debate competitor enrolled at a local junior college. When Feras sustained an injury after ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms, his friends called 911. Instead of helping Feras, the police shot and killed him. (See letter from a reader for more on Feras.)

Hector Morejon’s and Feras Morad’s families were joined by family and friends of Tyler Woods, Dante Jordan, Michael Nida, Ezell Ford, Manuel Diaz, Martin Hernandez, Bobby Henning, and Ignacio Ochoa. Tyler Woods’ aunt told how she and Tyler were stopped driving home from the 7-11. Tyler, 19, was the passenger. The cops made him get out of the car and frisked him. He was unarmed. Tyler had a warrant and did not want to go to jail. He ran. He was shot 19 times.

Pamela Fields, mother of Donte Jordan, told how police not only killed her son but nine months later also killed her nephew in Victorville, California, by Tasering him 17 times. This is very hurtful, she said. Her family is torn apart but, “I’m so glad everybody came out to support us and I love the fact that this time we came back stronger.”

Genevieve Huizar, mother of Manuel Angel Diaz, said people are being killed by police across America every single day. When Manuel was killed, people in Anaheim rose up. “At that time I called for peace,” she said. “I regret it. I regret calling for peace because maybe if there would have been more of an uprising there wouldn’t have to be Baltimore. There wouldn’t have to be New York. There wouldn’t have to be Atlanta, Georgia. There wouldn’t have to be Long Beach!”

Ezell Ford’s mother, Tritobia, came to stand in solidarity with the other families. “As I listened to all the stories,” she said, “I hear the same. That our loved ones were rushed, bum rushed, off guard, sneak attacks. Rushed! They didn’t have a chance to say anything or react or do anything. And it’s not fair. It’s not right for the police to play judge, jury, and executioner...”

After the rally, more than 100 people marched to a busy intersection in downtown Long Beach, chalked the names of people killed by the police in the intersection, did a die-in, and faced off with the Long Beach police.

All the families vowed to continue fighting. “They [the people who were killed] can’t fight for themselves anymore,” Feras Morad’s cousin said. “We got to fight for them. And fight for them to get justice.” Ruben  Morejon pointed out that 41 people have been killed by Long Beach police since 2000—no officers have been indicted. He said that this day’s protest “is just the beginning.”

 

 

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